Max's Story
by Maxx0721
Summary: Welcome to the world of Harry Potter plus 1! Introducing Maxine, a fiery girl with adventure in her bones! How does she know Harry? Why is Voldemort after her? Who knew Ron had a twin? It's the story you know and love coming at you from a whole new angle!
1. A Sudden Appearance

**AN: For some unknown reason, this took forever to get up But now it's up! And I'm super excited! Please enjoy!^_^!**

* * *

><p><strong>1<strong>

"Aw, man! That was some party, eh?" said Ron. He flopped down on his bed with a big, goofy smile on his face.

"I don't know how you would know that, mate, considering the only thing you saw the whole night was Lavender's big face!" Harry dodged the pillow Ron chucked at him and started laughing. He fell back on his bed and covered his head as Ron launched another pillow.

"At least I have a girlfriend!" Ron sniped.

"Well I haven't met the right girl yet," Harry stated as he sat up.

"But what about Cho? You thought she was the right girl once."

"Yeah, and that ended horribly. I'm not going through that again."

"Well then, how are you gonna know when Miss Right comes by?" Ron asked. "You just gonna look around one day, see her and say, 'Now there's the girl I'm going to spend the rest of my life with?'"

"I'll just know, okay?" huffed Harry.

"Fine, fine. But don't come crying to me when you're eighty and lonely." Now Ron was the victim of a vicious pillow beating. "Alright! Alright! I'll shut up! Jeez!" yelled Ron. Harry tossed back Ron's pillows and slid into his bed. He took his glasses off and placed them on the bedside table, then flipped onto his back and lay starring at the ceiling. He was quiet for a long time.

"What's on your mind, Harry?" Ron asked from his own bed.

"I don't know, really," replied Harry while still studying the ceiling. "I guess… I just have this feeling."

"Really," Ron stated as he turned on his side and propped his head on his hand.

"Yeah. Like something's going to happen."

"Good or bad, mate. I want to be ready if dementors are going to knock down the door."

"I don't know. It's just a feeling." Harry waved his left hand in the air as if brushing away Ron's words. "It probably means nothing anyway. I'll see you in the morning."

"Oh, alright then," Ron sighed as he turned onto his back. "'Night, Harry."

"'Night." They both pulled their drapes closed and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Thunder rumbled outside and I was certain there was lightning, too, but I couldn't see it, caged up in a dungeon like I am. The door at the top of the stairs opened and footsteps started echoing off the stone walls. Three very familiar faces came into view as the figures rounded the wall blocking the stairs and headed for my cell. Peter Pettigrew, a stupid, little, runt of a man, stepped forward and unlocked the door to my cell. Now that the door was open, I could access my magic and reached for it immediately, but Tom was always faster. He waved his wand and bottled up my power before I could summon it. I was no better than a Muggle again.<p>

"Hello, guys. Come to check up on poor, old me?" My voice sounded tired despite my bravado. "You shouldn't have. I mean, it's only been three days since I've had any food. That's not long at all! Usually, you let me go five, six…"

"Shut up, you little monster!" Bellatrix wore a mask of disgust as she glared down at me.

"Oh, Bella, did you come to visit me again? I've said before I'm not interested. Tell Draco he should stop wasting his time!" Sarcasm was my only constant companion. Bella twitched, her expression full of rage, but a long, pale hand rested on her shoulder, warning her not to say another word.

"Oh, why hello, Tom! It's always so nice to see you!" Lord Voldemort's expression didn't waver in the slightest at the mention of his hated childhood name. His blood-red eyes showed no emotion.

"Now, Maxine," he said in his cold, high voice. "You know I despise that name."

"Yeah, I do," I told him. "That's precisely the reason I use it." I glared at him, my gaze full of venom. Pettigrew cowered, but the ice blue color of my eyes had quit being effective on Tom a long time ago. The fear Voldemort usually induced had also vanished. I'd been forced into this man's presence often enough that he could no longer scare me. He wasn't going to kill me no matter what I did. He needed me.

Ha! He needs a sixteen year-old girl to help him kill a sixteen year-old boy. Every time I think about it, it makes me laugh.

"Now," I continued, "to what do I owe this visit, hmm?" I looked at all three of them in turn, a questioning look on my face.

"We are setting you free," said Tom.

My jaw dropped. That was a set of words I'd never heard in that order before. There was usually a "not" or "never" in the middle somewhere. They were setting me free? After nearly one-and-a-half years of torture that did them no good, they were setting me free?

"Yes, child, free." Tom had read the surprise on my face correctly. "But…"

Ah. There's the "but". There's always a catch. I closed my mouth and a look of angry curiosity replaced my bewilderment. All three of them were smiling now. When Voldemort smiles, I've found that what follows is generally painful and doesn't bode well for me.

"But not before you do something for me."

"Tom, why would I have any reason to do you a favor?" I asked in the sweetest voice I could muster.

"Because I'm going to force you to do this," he replied.

"Good reason," I grumbled. Pettigrew and Bella marched into my cell and dragged me to the high-backed chair I've come to know so well. Once they shoved me into the chair, the chains on the floor sprang to life and secured my arms, legs, ankles, and wrists. Tom leaned down until his nasty, reptilian face was a mere foot from me. "What do you want me to do, Tom," I said resignedly, my eyes not leaving his.

"I want you to join my army," he said coolly, that grin still firmly in place.

"You've already asked me that a million other times and I've already told you no. What makes you think this time's any different?" I kept my demeanor calm and disinterested just to annoy him. He hated it. But the smile didn't even waver.

"I know who you are, Maxine. You're not just the stray little mage the Malfoy's so kindly located for me over a year ago. You had a family before. You, my dear, have a weakness." I put on a mask of indifference as he spoke. The ones I cared about were out of his reach. They were safe. He had no weapon to use against me.

"That was a long time ago," I told him.

"Yes, but I'm sure I'll change your mind, Miss Weasley." I paled. "Bring him in!"

Oh no. I could feel fear begin to show on my face. Please no. Please, don't - But it wasn't. As soon as I saw him and he saw me, years of no contact didn't matter. Our faces contorted in rage.

"What is she doing here!" yelled Percy Weasley. "She's working for you, isn't she! I always knew you were nothing but trouble! That you'd turn on us!"

"Yes, Percy, you pompous, arrogant prat. I'm working for this joker. That's why I'm chained to a chair, you scum sucking, prejudiced idiot." Tom's smug expression faded. This clearly wasn't going as he had expected it to.

"Why aren't the two of you terrified?" he asked in a hard, cold tone.

"Oh, Perce is terrified, alright. He's about to piss his pants, aren't you, you sheep biting dope."

"Shut up, you cold-hearted bitch! Look at you! Not even a touch of fear for the life of a brother!"

"As if you even call yourself my brother!"

"And why should I? You're just-"

"Crucio," said Tom calmly. "I've had enough of this." Percy fell to the floor howling in pain. I kept my expression under control, but I knew I had to get Perce out of here. How could I stop Tom? My magic was bottled up inside me and unreachable. How could I-… Wait. That just might work! I composed my expression so that it looked eager and slightly hopeful.

"Ooh, Tom! Think you could let me try that?" I asked. Tom's concentration broke and Percy stared hatefully up at me from his place on the floor, gasping for air. Tom turned to me.

"What did you say?" he asked, his expression confused and a bit skeptical.

"I asked if you would let me have a go. You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do something like that to Perce. For so long… Please?" I threw in the "please" for good measure. He thought it over for a minute, measuring the sincerity on my face.

"Fine," he said. Tom pointed his wand at me and the chains that bound me fell limp to the ground. I kept my shock hidden as I got up and walked forward so that I stood at the right hand of the most feared wizard in the world. The contrast between his pristine darkness and my tattered, scarred, half-starved self was borderline hilarious.

"The incantation is 'Crucio'," Tom told me as he handed me his wand. I didn't take it even though both Pettigrew's and Bella's eyes were bugging out of their skulls in shock.

"Now, Tom," I told him with the tone of a mother refreshing her child's memory, "You know I can't use a wand. They burst into flames when I touch them."

"Yes, right." He stood for a moment, contemplating again. Then he muttered a few words, flicked his wand, and the bottle around my power disappeared. Merlin, he actually did it! I reached within me for my magic and felt it flowing through my veins. I could reach my magic! I had power, but not a lot. I was too weak to pull off much at the moment.

"I warn you, don't try anything. Just inflict as much pain as possible without killing him," ordered Tom.

"I think I know something that will work brilliantly for this," I replied with a sadistic smile. I held out my hand, palm facing Perce, and thought of what I wanted.

'Impenetrable shields. The Burrow. Send Perce back to the Burrow. And where do I go? Some place safe. Albus. Hogwarts. I go to Hogwarts. Please let me have strength enough for this!'

Everything happened in a matter of seconds. Silvery domes ringed in my trademark black flames formed around me and Perce. First Perce disappeared. There wasn't even a crack like you get with wizarding apparition. He was just gone.

"What?" Tom, Pettigrew, and Bella were staring at the place where Perce had just been. "No!" Tom raised his wand, but then I too, was gone. The sensation of being squeezed into a tuna can was never pleasant, but then I was on the front lawn of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry being drenched by the rain that had caused the thunder I'd heard earlier.

I ran through the night, my mind creating shadows within the shadows. When I reached the stairs and ran up to the large, heavy oak doors, they wouldn't budge. Resting my hands on the old, worn wood, I let my magic seep in.

Stranger. I was a stranger. Not a student, not a teacher. They wouldn't let me in.

"Look, guys," I told them, "my brother is in there. My sister, too. And I need to talk to Dumbledore. Please let me in. I'm a good girl, trust me." The doors took a moment to deliberate, then swung open and permitted me to enter their school. I took a few steps into the huge front hall and then gathered what power I had left.

* * *

><p>"RON!"<p>

Ron's eyes snapped open and he leapt out of bed, tearing down his curtains in the process. He stood in the middle of the dorm room, curtains draped over his shoulder and strewn across the floor, listening to the sound of his name bouncing off the walls. All of his roommates were staring at him.

"RON! COME ON RON! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!"

"Oh my god," whispered Ron. "It couldn't be her."

"Ron? What's going on? Hey! Ron, wait!" Harry's words were lost on Ron as he sprinted out the door and through the hallways.

"RON, PLEASE, I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!" the amplified voice called again.

"Max! It's actually Max!" Ron whispered to himself as he hurtled out the portrait hole, the Fat Lady staring after him. "I'm coming!" he shouted into the halls. Ron dashed down flight after flight of stairs until he finally reached the top of the main staircase leading down to the entry hall. At the bottom of the stairs was a very weary looking girl in nothing more than rags.

Her usually short, deep red hair was long and straggly. She was piteously thin and pale, and had large, dark circles under her pale, crystal blue eyes. Hundreds of scars marked her arms and legs.

"Max," Ron whispered, his eyes wide with shock and dimmed with sadness over her current condition. "What happened to you?" He walked down the stairs and enveloped his twin sister in a hug.

* * *

><p>"Ron," I said as I hugged my big brother. "What the hell took you so long?" I pulled back and glared angrily at him.<p>

"I had to run all the way down from the dorm, Max! Give a guy a break!" he said, no smile on his face despite his joking. "What happened to you? You look terrible."

"Oh, well, thanks for the compliment." Sarcasm. Again. And while he's worried sick. Should've left that behind as well.

"Max, seriously."

"Well," I looked over Ron's shoulder as I tried to avoid the worry in his eyes. "Oh crap. I'll tell you later." A crowd had begun gathering at the top of the main staircase.

"What? Max, that's not-" I spun Ron around so that he could see the people, too. "Oh." He grabbed my hand and we started running towards another set of stairs that wasn't crowded by prying eyes. We were almost there when a shriveled, black hand caught my shoulder and I was brought to a stop. Ron looked back, confused by my sudden halt.

"It's been a while, Maxine. I see fate has not been very kind to you." Albus Dumbledore's calm tone resonated through the halls. I dropped Ron's hand and turned to look at the man who had introduced me to my mentor and who had done so much for me and my family.

"No, sir, fate has not been terribly kind to me at all," I replied.

"Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore turned his blue gaze to Ron who stood just ahead of me. "Why don't you go and fetch your younger sister and meet Maxine and I up in my office, hmm?" he stated. Ron paused a second before answering, reluctant to leave.

"Yes, sir." He shot me one last worried and confused look before he sprinted off to go find Ginny.

"Come, Maxine. Let's get you some dry clothes and ginger snaps." Dumbledore smiled kindly at me as the hand that wasn't on my shoulder gestured towards a nearby hallway.

"Thank you, Albus," I said. The past year or so was catching up quick and I was suddenly looking forward to sitting down. With that, Albus led me away from the eyes of curious onlookers and off towards his office.

Right before we slipped around the corner, though, I caught sight of a pair of bright green eyes. Green like emerald.

And familiar as hell.

* * *

><p>Ron dashed up the main stairs as Dumbledore led the red-headed girl away. Harry stood immobile, watching the retreating figures of his mentor and the tattered stranger. When Ron reached the top of the stairs he searched the crowd quickly with his eyes and, not seeing who he was looking for, he got ready to take off again. Harry caught Ron's elbow and finally pulled his eyes from the corner where the girl had disappeared with Dumbledore.<p>

"Ron, what's going on?" he asked.

"Not now, Harry," Ron replied in a rushed, breathless voice, eyes still scanning the crowd. "You seen Ginny?"

"No, mate. Sorry." Ron struggled to get out of Harry's grip, but Harry held firm. "Who was she? How does she know you?" Harry wasn't letting go.

"Harry, I've got to go get Ginny. I'll tell you later, okay?" Ron looked at his friend with eyes that were bright with excitement and darkened by worry. Harry finally let go.

"Fine." Harry's hand dropped back to his side and Ron bolted off down the halls just as Hermione pushed her way through the crowd to Harry's side.

"What's going on, Harry? Who was that girl? How did she get in here? And why is Ron in a panic?" she asked, the worry in her voice only barely hidden.

"I don't know," Harry replied as he turned his attention back to the corner Dumbledore had led the girl around. He pulled his Invisibility Cloak out of his shirt. "But we'll find out."

The crowd began to dissipate as sleepy students went back to their dorms. Prefects gathered up the stragglers and soon the halls were empty. Harry and Hermione sat on the floor near the stone gargoyle that led to Dumbledore's office and watched curiously from under the Invisibility Cloak as Ron pulled Ginny down the hall and up the spiral stairs. As the gargoyle began to slide back into place, Ginny's voice echoed back down to the hallway.

"It's really Max? Really?" Then there was a gasp and squeals of delight before the sound of a door closing and the stone gargoyle resumed its post.

Harry and Hermione sat back and waited.

* * *

><p>"Max! Oh Merlin, it's really you! What happened to you?" Ginny released her sister and looked her over, her smile lapsing into worry. Max was, most noticeably, rail thin and covered in scars. The rags she wore were filthy and bloodstained, tattered, torn and practically falling off her skeletal frame. Her usually deep red hair was sick-looking, long and tangled. Her cheeks were hollowed and there were large, dark circles under her eyes, which were the only part of her that didn't look beaten and broken. "You look like hell! What on earth happened to you? Didn't Aberforth teach you self-defense or something?"<p>

Max's eyes teared up and she looked at the floor. "Abby… Albus," she said as she looked up at the older Dumbledore brother. "Abby's-"

"Working down at the Hog's Head and doing just fine. You can visit him once you recover a bit." Max's tear-filled eyes widened in disbelief and met Albus's twinkling blue ones as he sat back in his chair, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"But he-"

"Just barely managed to escape." The small smile vanished as Dumbledore leaned forward in his chair and twined his hands, elbows on his desk. "I've been aware of your situation since day one, Maxine, and I am very sorry that we couldn't do anything to help. It seems Voldemort was keeping a personal watch over you the whole time."

"What?" Ron stared at Max, shock in every line of his face. Ginny's narrowed eyes darted between Dumbledore and her sister, confused and afraid.

"You told us she'd been captured by Death Eaters, Professor, but you forgot to mention this! Is it true Max?" Gin was furious. And Ron was working his way into a rage as well.

"Well," began Max, but Dumbledore cut across her again.

"Before you launch into your story, Maxine, I believe that your siblings were followed here."

"Wait, wait! Explain why you hid Max's situation from us!"

"Ron, hush up! It was to keep you from worrying more than you already were!" Max stated in what normally would have been a firm tone.

"Max," he started to argue, but Dumbledore intervened.

"If you go downstairs, I think you will find two children about your age down in the hall," he stated as if the interruption never happened. "Would you mind bringing them up with you when you return?"

"Uh," Max looked confused, but obliged. "Sure," she said.

* * *

><p>I opened the door to Albus's office and descended the spiral stairs, the stone gargoyle leaping aside and allowing me into the hall. At first my tired eyes saw nothing but the empty, dark stone hallway, but then - there. By the corner. Movement. But there was nothing where the movement had been. Stone walls don't move… usually. I watched the corner, trying to pick up some sign of magic or people and then the movement came again. The corner shimmered like water flowing over land. It was a soft, liquid appearance.<p>

The Invisibility Cloak. It must be. I could see through Disillusionment Charms. I walked towards the corner of the hallway and just as I reached down to pull back the Invisibility Cloak, two figures jumped out from under it and stood facing me.

"How could you see us?" asked the boy. He was skinny with messy black hair and emerald eyes. Those same familiar green eyes.

"Have we met before?" I asked the boy.

"What? No! How could you see us under the cloak?" he asked, flustered.

"I couldn't see you," I responded. My voice sounded so tired in this hall. "I just saw the magic. Even I can't see through an Invisibility Cloak."

"You saw the magic?" the boy asked skeptically. The girl's expression turned thoughtful.

"Yes. It looks like water. You two are supposed to come up, too. Albus says it's alright." I turned back towards the spiral staircase, but I heard no footsteps other than mine echo off the stone. I looked back around and saw the two teens still standing by the corner of the hall watching me curiously.

"You said you could see the magic. How?" That was the bushy-haired girl. She had a nice, smooth voice not unlike Ginny's but less rough.

"I just could," I replied shrugging.

"Even the greatest wizards in history could only sense concealed magic, but you said you saw it. You said it looked like water?" she paused, her expression showing she expected a reasonable answer.

"Yes. I saw the ripple of movement made by your fidgeting," I sighed tiredly. "Now, please, I'd like-"

"How did you get here?"

"Hermione." The boy's familiar green eyes flicked to the girl momentarily. "She's tired. Stop pushing."

"But Harry, I want to find out what she is!"

"Is that all?" I asked loudly. Getting my volume up took some effort. I was swaying where I stood.

"What? Yes, yes, that's all," said the girl, Hermione.

"I'm a mage. Can we go up now?" I asked.

"A what?" They both said simultaneously; the boy Harry, in confusion, and Hermione in shock.

"You can't be serious!" exclaimed Hermione, her eyes lighting up with questions.

"Yes, I am," I replied in a deadpan.

"What's a mage?" asked Harry.

"Enough questions, just climb the stairs!" came Ron's voice shouting from Albus's office. I turned away from the direction of Ron's shout and looked back at Harry and Hermione.

"Shall we?" I asked. The two obediently followed Ron's instructions and ascended the stairs in silence, Harry folding his Invisibility Cloak under his arm. As I walked back through the office door I asked, "Are Hermione Granger and Harry Potter the two you wished me to bring?"

"Yes, they are. Thank you, Maxine," Albus replied with a smile.

"But… How do you know our names? We never told you." Harry was watching me with great suspicion.

"Ron tells me everything," I said matter-of-factly. Harry's suspicion changed to puzzlement.

"Why?" came Hermione's impending question.

"Cause she's his twin and my older sister. Now could we please stop the interrogation for a bit so that I can find out why she's half dead and been under Voldemort's personal guard?" Ginny raged.

"Miss Weasley has a point. However, I believe there is one more matter that needs clearing up before we launch into that tale. Harry?" Albus looked over at Harry with his bright blue eyes that seemed to see deep inside a person. I couldn't blame Harry for fidgeting slightly.

"Uh… I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say, Sir."

"Miss Maxine, why not clarify for Harry just what it is you are, hmm?" The blue gaze flicked to me as realization dawned on Harry's face.

"Oh," he said.

"Right. I'm a mage," I began. Wow, did I sound beat. "A mage is basically-"

"-a person who wields magic without a wand. But the main difference between a mage and a witch or wizard is that their powers are influenced by their mental and physical strength." The room was starring at Hermione. "Sorry," she ducked her head a bit. "You just seemed so…" She trailed off not wanting to say the word.

"Damaged," I finished for her.

"Well, yeah," she said, blushing. She was bold. I liked that.

"Is that enough clarification for you?" Ron asked, his panic finally showing through.

"No wands?" asked Harry.

"Merlin's-" Ron threw his hands in the air and fell into the closest chair, agitation written in every line of his body. I placed my hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"No wands," I replied. "No incantations either. My magic does my will up to my limits."

"And you're Ron's twin sister?" asked Hermione, remembering Ginny's outburst.

"Yeah." I pulled another chair over next to Ron's and sank into it with a small wince. The number Fenrir had done on my ribs hadn't healed up all the way, yet.

"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Harry quietly. He seemed slightly disappointed that Ron had kept this hushed up. "How come nobody said anything? And why were you never at the Burrow?" His last question was pointed towards me.

Though both Ron and Ginny opened their mouths to answer, it was Albus who explained this time.

"You've never heard of Maxine Weasley because it was under my advice that she be kept secret from the world. Even the Ministry doesn't know she exists-"

"But You-Know-Who does so that plan's shot to hell, anyway," Ron angrily interjected.

"Yes, well," Albus continued. "It was for the sake of keeping her safe while she trained with my brother, Aberforth. But, as Mr. Weasley pointed out," Albus gave a small nod in Ron's direction, "that plan fell through and what we were trying to avoid ended up occurring anyway. She was never at the Burrow when you were for the same reason and also because she has been traveling with Aberforth, learning how to harness, control, and hone her powers. Does that answer your questions, Harry?" It was obvious from Albus's tone and pointed glance that the game of twenty questions was over.

"Yes, Sir. Thank you," Harry said, looking a bit stunned.

"Now, Maxine," Albus said, turning his blue gaze to me. "Aberforth has told me that about a month after Voldemort regained his body, he found and attacked the two of you with a large band of Death Eaters and stole you away. Correct?" I nodded my head weakly. The fact that I no longer had to fear going to sleep was making my eyelids droop. "Aberforth also mentioned that you were unable to use your powers. Is this true?" I nodded again.

"Tom created a spell that forms a barrier around my magic. It's not a barrier around me, 'cause I could break that. I'd still be able to reach my magic. He's developed a barrier that forms inside me around the core of my powers. It keeps my magic in and me out." I said objectively. Albus's face showed his worry. He didn't have to voice his thoughts. "It's got a long incantation that I've only heard a handful of times. He can perform it silently now and I'm no kind of Legilimens. I've been trying to pick apart the spell in my head and figure out what needs to be done to prevent it. There's no way I'd be able to break it." I lapsed into a contemplative silence.

Albus seemed just as deep in thought as I had been for the past year-and-a-half. Hermione looked shocked, Harry confused, and Ron and Ginny were watching me, fear plain on their faces.

"That could be quite a problem," muttered Albus. Ron's head whipped around.

"'Could be'?"

"Ron," I warned.

"No! This is a problem!" Ron shouted as he rose from his chair. "He can block her powers! Turn her into a Muggle! This is a huge problem!"

"Ron, sit down!" Ginny and I both shouted together. Our family always marveled at how alike its women were. Gin and I had on our best Molly Weasley glares. Ron shut his mouth and sat down obediently, but he wasn't happy about doing so.

"I'll figure out a counter attack, don't worry," I told him. "I'll be fine."

"This is all going way over my head," Harry said. "I've got no clue what you mean about barrier spells and counter attacks. What I do understand is that you," he looked pointedly at me, his green eyes bright with anxious excitement, "…just ran away from Voldemort. If he kept you alive, he must really need you, and now that you're gone he's going to search for you. Professor," he turned to Albus now. "Death Eaters or dementors are going to show up here any minute. We've got to-"

"We do not have to do anything but listen to Miss Maxine's tale. No forces of darkness are going to show up on our doorstep, I assure you. We are perfectly safe." I couldn't tell if Harry's face relaxed with relief or a slight disappointment. "Now, Maxine, if you would kindly enlighten us as to your situation these past sixteen months I would be most grateful," Albus finished.

"Yes, Sir." I sighed as I pulled my legs up onto the chair and hugged my knees to my chest. This was going to be a painful walk through the past.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Please review! I would love to know how I could make the next chapter even better than the first!^_^ So yes, criticism is welcome! You will not be hated for your opinions.^_^ Thank you for reading!<strong>


	2. A Painful Walk Through the Past

**Disclaimer: Only Maxine is mine. Everything else is property of the wonderful J.K. Rowling.**

**AN: Here's my birthday present to you all! Just like I promised! (For once, I wasn't lying...) I'm going to apologize early for what I'm sure is fail-Latin. I've never taken Latin, so I used Google Translate and some other tranlsation sites to get the Latin sentences you will read in this Chapter. Since Goolge Translate tends to fail, I'm sure this time was no exception. If any of you do know Latin, and you're utterly horrified by how I've mangled the language, please, please, please, review, or send a message! I will be all to happy for your help in correcting it! So, here's the second chapter in Max's Story! I hope you all enjoy it!**

* * *

><p>2<p>

"We're going back to England?" I asked excitedly as Abby threw my bag at me and started ripping clothes out of the dresser. He'd barged into my room declaring that an urgent matter required our attention back home and we were to catch a flight out of Dallas Fort Worth International in three hours time. He'd then proceeded to wreak havoc on my hotel room, throwing clothes and emptying the closet and dresser.

"Yes, we are. Now quickly, put those in your bag. We've got to hurry!" he said frantically.

"Abby, we've got three hours until take off," I said as I began folding my scattered clothes and he continued to tear around the room. "We've got plenty of time. What's the rush for?"

"I'll tell you on the way, but for now, please, just cooperate? Postpone the interrogation until we're in a safer environment, please?" He looked at me with an almost manic look in his eye as he turned the last drawer of clothes upside-down on my bed.

"'Safer?'" Immediately I was serious. I picked up my belongings by the armful and began shoving them into my brand new un-fillable bag. "What do you mean by 'safer', Abby? This was supposed to be a _safe house_."

"Just pack. Can't talk now." His expression told me he was internally cursing himself for letting that piece of information slip. He picked up my hairbrush and ran into the bathroom for my toiletries. He threw them all into my bag and helped me with the rest of my things. Last to go in was my custom wardrobe board. "Why the hell didn't we just use that to start with," he muttered bitterly to himself.

"Rushing makes you miss things. Now why are you so bent out of shape? What the devil is going on, Abby?" I put my fists on my hips and glared at my mentor.

"Max, we don't have time for this," he pleaded.

"Tell me now or I'm not moving. Three hours is a long while." I sat down on the bed for good measure.

"Godammit, Maxine," he muttered. "Get the hell up now. We've got to go." He glared at me, his voice taking on that edge it gets when he's about to completely blow a gasket.

"Then tell me what's going on," I said, not backing down. Abby's face went deep red and his already bright blue eyes took on an electric glint. He took in my crossed arms, the determined set of my jaw, and the ice that had moved into my crystal blue eyes. I have always been a thousand times more stubborn than Abby and that fact has helped me win countless arguments. The flush in Abby's face receded, but the electricity remained in his eyes. He sighed.

"He's here, Max. In America – in Dallas for all I know – and he's looking for you." As Abby said this I could feel my face pale and fear creep through my bones.

"You don't mean …" I whispered.

"The information I received claims he used a portkey and brought almost the entirety of his inner circle with him. He smashed through Customs and disappeared. We need to go, now." That was all I needed to know. I got up and slung my bag over my back and Abby opened the door of the hotel room to grab his bag which had been sitting in the hall. He reached back and took my hand then ran to the elevator, dragging me behind. Outside the hotel, we slid into an alley and apparated to the airport. We stood in line at the ticket counter and then ran to our gate, but no matter how fast we moved, nothing was going to make the plane arrive any earlier. We sat in the center of our gate, watching the seconds tick by on the clock on the CNN ticker.

"Abby, stop with the leg bouncing. He's not stupid enough to attack in the middle of the airport." I tried my hardest to believe what I had just said.

"We don't know what he'll do, Max. I just hope he hasn't figured out where we've gone." Abby's leg continued to bounce, his heel tapping out a quick, regular rhythm on the floor.

I'd never seen my mentor so panicked. If he was this afraid of what was coming, then chances were we weren't going to outrun it. He was probably going to catch us, and we were probably going to be in for the fight of our lives.

A battle with the Dark Lord and his battalion of Death Eaters. Great. And we still had hours of waiting ahead of us. Why the hell were we flying, anyway?

"Abby? Why are we taking a plane? A portkey would be so much faster. And despite the ban, we could apparate. Better to ask forgiveness, right?"

"Both mean us getting held up at Customs, Max. International portkeys take days to register unless you create an illegal one, but then we'd both just wind up in Azkaban. No good. Apparition would end similarly. Flying is the fastest way home that doesn't get us thrown into the Death Eater Recruiting Station." My mentor explained all of this in a frantic, harried voice. His eyes stayed focused on the floor, his leg continuing to bounce. I looked up at the ticker on the TV. Damn, still two hours and fifteen minutes to go.

"We're not gonna beat this, are we," I said. It was more of a statement than a question. A fact, not merely a possibility.

"We are in deep shit, Max." The both of us just stared at the floor for a long time. Abby was no doubt trying to think of a way out of this, panicking on the inside because there was no plausible escape. My mind began running through all the information I'd learned since I was five years-old. Every form, method, and discipline Abby had taught me about my powers.

'Keep your focus… Know your strength… Don't over-do it… Know what you want, focus on its completion, and make it happen… When fighting, aim to incapacitate, never to kill… Always be strong and in control. Nothing is more dangerous that a mage whose power rages out of control… Know yourself, know your magic, know your enemy, know your purpose.' I chanted that last phrase over and over in my head. Nothing was more important than knowing my limits and knowing what I needed to accomplish.

I glanced up at the television again to check the time. As I watched, the screen turned to snow. I turned my eyes to the TVs in the other gates. All were broadcasting black and grey fuzz. "Abby." I nudged my mentor with my elbow, waking him from his thoughts. The lights flickered repeatedly, and then everything went dark. There were shouts and surprised screams from all around. No lights, no departure boards, no anything. If there was a back-up generator, it wasn't working.

"Here we go," Abby whispered grimly. I stood up from my chair and I heard Abby do the same. We did our best to peer through the darkness, searching and listening for the impending attack. I stood in a defensive stance, feet spread slightly past shoulder width, knees bent, hands up, open and ready to hurl a suitcase into the face of a Death Eater. I had a firm grasp on my magic, ready to wield it at a moment's notice.

Then suddenly the power came back on.

"Attention all Dallas Fort Worth International flyers. We apologize for the temporary power outage," a woman's voice stated over the PA system. "Our power supplier had a momentary maintenance issue. They have informed us that all problems have been resolved and we should have no further power outages. Thank you for your patience and have a nice day!"

Abby collapsed into his chair, his expression flashing momentary relief before returning to panicked anticipation. I stayed standing and just stared at the ceiling in disbelief. What the hell are the chances that during the same moments we're waiting to be ambushed by a reborn, psycho-murderer the power goes out in the whole bloody airport and it's got nothing to do with us?

"Gave me a friggin' heart attack, that did," I said as I finally flopped back into my chair. Abby merely shook his head as if he couldn't believe what just happened. I looked up at the CNN ticker again. One hour and fifty minutes to go. If only my powers let me speed up time!

We sat in a tense silence as we waited for our plane. I watched people come and go, walking quickly up and down the halls. I saw families exchanging hugs and tears, some in greeting, others in goodbye. 'Merlin, I hope I get to see my family soon,' I thought. And, barring a fight with Lord Voldemort, I would see them in just a matter of hours. More than twelve, but still only hours.

I turned away from the people and looked past Abby out the wall-sized window looking over the tarmac. Storm clouds were rolling in. Big, dark purple ones that blotted out the sun and turned late afternoon into pitch black night. Occasionally lightning flashed through the darkness, lighting up the purple to shades of grey and blue. I watched the clouds roll over the trees bordering the runways and make their way towards the building. Planes fell into shadow and lights went on, making the black tar on the ground shine against the overbearing purple. Soon the whole sky was blocked by the thunderheads.

An ear-shattering crash was let loose above the airport leaving windows rattling in its wake. Abby had jumped at the sudden rumble, shaken from the dark thoughts that had been plaguing him.

"Bloody hell," he whispered, shaking his head to clear away the shock. He turned and looked out the window. "Well that doesn't look good."

"Flights aren't cancelled," I said.

"Yet," he added, forever the pessimist. "See that fog bank coming in?" he asked me, pointing out the window. I looked toward the trees where sure enough, a soft mist was seeping through the branches. But it was strange. It writhed and swirled, but came no closer, never disentangling itself from the trees and moving to invade the runways.

"Abby, that stuff's not moving." He narrowed his eyes and adjusted his glasses, trying to get a better look at the fog. Then he suddenly sat back in his chair, eyes bugging and staring straight ahead.

"Shit," he muttered. I looked out at the fog again. It looked just like a normal fog, only that instead of rolling out and swallowing everything, it remained motionless.

"Abby, what are you doing? It's just a fog. I mean, sure it's weird that it doesn't move, but-"

"Dementors."

"What?"

"Dementors. Not a lot, but dementors nonetheless. That's what's making that fog. They're staying still, so it's not moving." Abby had reached down for his backpack now and was pulling his wand out of the side pocket. He stood up and tossed the bag over his shoulder simultaneously stuffing his wand up his jacket sleeve. "We need to go."

"Wait, Abby. Why are we leaving? The plane will be here in-" I glanced up at the ticker again. "Twenty minutes. We can make it! We don't need to-"

"Max," Abby looked at me with eyes overrun with panic. And yet, there was a touch of sadness in them, too. "I know you want to go home, but we've got to go. We can't endanger these people. We'll lose the Doom Patrol and catch a different flight. But we've got to go, now."

"Oh, I don't think you'll be going anywhere," said a cold, high voice. I stood and spun around at the same time, falling back into my defensive position, the black flames of my magic appearing at the bottom of the nearest suitcase. I felt Abby steel himself as well.

The man before us was tall, lean, bald, and incredibly pale. He wore sleek, dark Muggle clothes – a form fitting black long-sleeve shirt, slim black slacks, and shiny black leather shoes – which didn't seem to fit him. Not in size, but in demeanor. Everything about him screamed power, superiority, malevolence, and magic. It was all written in the red eyes set in his slightly reptilian face. He was nowhere near good looking, though by the set of his cheek bones and his facial structure, he'd been handsome once. He stood in front of me with arms crossed, the picture of smug ease. He glanced at my flames surrounding the nearby suitcase and a pleased, but unnerving grin spread across his thin lips. I cringed. This was a man I wanted no business with. Ever. And he was definitely not someone who should get hold of my secret. The bitter taste of fear stung my mouth as his glance landed on me.

"So this is the little mage girl, Lucius?" the man asked over his shoulder, his red eyes not leaving my own crystal blue ones. At the sound of his name, Lucius Malfoy stepped out from the crowd. He too was dressed in dark Muggle clothes.

"Yes, my Lord. That is the girl." Oh, shit. I heard Abby mimic my thoughts out loud. This was not good.

"Good, good. Now child, why don't you tell me your name, hmm?" The man, who I now knew as one of the Wizarding World's most dangerous psychopaths, leaned slightly towards me as if to appear more inviting. The gesture merely made him more sinister.

"And if I don't want to tell you?" I said defiantly. I'll be damned if this man gets the better of me simply because he's a bit scary.

"Max," Abby warned, his whisper barely audible to my own ears.

"I'll chain you down and put you through excruciating pain until you do," the Dark Lord calmly and quietly responded. Okay, so he's a lot scary. But I had my own secret weapon.

"To bad you won't get the chance, Tom," I spat his name with every ounce of contempt I had. Lord Voldemort's eyes flew wide and he reeled back as if hit. Bull's-eye. But the shock was soon gone and unbridled rage took its place. The Dark Lord pulled out his wand and took aim at my forehead.

"You'll pay for that, you brat," he hissed. He motioned behind him with his free hand and other black-clad people slithered out of the crowd. Abby had been silent so far, hopefully because he was wracking his brain for an escape route, but he finally decided to speak.

"Think, Max. We're in a Muggle airport. What's the worst thing that could happen right now?" he hurriedly whispered to me.

"Innocents get caught up in the fray," I replied. Rule one: always make sure dangerous demonstrations of magic were done far from innocent bystanders, especially Muggles.

"Good girl. Now what are we going to do about that?" he asked, still in teacher mode even in this horrid situation.

"I'm going to relocate everyone directly involved and everyone who's a potential danger to a risk free area while distracting the Muggles and security cameras. So they go to the Texan desert, and we'll go-"

"Max, despite how ridiculous your common sense might think this is, the best thing to do would be send us all to the same place. If we escape, he'll merely chase us down again and we may not be able to choose the location next time."

…

Why the hell does Abby always have to be right?

"Dammit," I muttered. Our exchange took only seconds but in that short span of time, the group of black-clad Death Eaters had encircled us, my fire had disappeared from the suitcase, and the Muggles were starting to get suspicious. Especially of the guy wielding a stick and muttering to himself. Lord Voldemort had been reciting an incantation for several moments now. Whatever his spell was for, I didn't want to find out.

I shifted my stance, spread my feet a little wider, bent my knees a little more, and summoned my strength. I'd taken years of martial arts classes to center my energy. They'd really helped me get a better grasp on my magic and I became a kick-ass hand-to-hand fighter as an added bonus. I closed my eyes, trusting Abby to have my back if something happened, and focused. Every camera with an angle on our position became encircled by black flames and went dead. I opened my eyes and took a quick glance at every Death Eater around us. I then closed my eyes again, focused my energy, and imagined the cliffs in the desert where Abby had taken me to train only a month before. Seventeen people faded from Muggle memories and Muggle sight and then disappeared from the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport all together.

I opened my eyes as my feet hit red rock and the New Mexico sun beat down on my shoulders. The Death Eaters were either falling from the sudden landing or staring around in confusion. The Dark Lord continued his incantation as if the sudden location change hadn't happened. Behind me, Abby pulled out his wand and stood with his back against mine. I listened in to what Voldemort was muttering, trying to figure out what he was attempting to do with such a long incantation.

"Animus non crux crucis obex , vox est habitum intus." So he's speaking in Latin. "Somes domus a animus quod secundum a obex , vox."

'The soul cannot cross the barrier, the power is held within. The body houses a soul and behind a barrier, power.' So he's trying to create a barrier to split a soul from its power?

"Vinco non pervenio vox." 'The master cannot reach the power.' Power. Power as in… Magic! He's trying to separate someone from their magic! But that's impossible. You can't separate a wizard from his power.

But I'm not a wizard.

"Sterilis." 'Useless.' "Reddo vinco sterilis." 'Render the master useless.' Oh shit.

Voldemort's wand erupted in a flash of bright green light. The flash contracted into a concentrated beam that smacked me in the gut and turned black, just like the flames of my magic. I hit the ground with a thud.

It had all happened in a matter of seconds. By the time Abby turned around to see if I was alright, I was back on my feet, my black flames sparking at my fingertips.

"I'd save what magic you've got in those hands, little mage," hissed Voldemort. "It's all the power you'll ever have again." I knew he was half right. I'd done a quick mental body check after the spell hit me. I was physically fine, but the incantation had done just what Voldemort wanted it to. A strong barrier now encircled the core of my power. No matter how hard I tried to reach for it, I couldn't breach the barrier.

"What's he talking about, Max?" Abby questioned worriedly.

"He's blocked my magic," I growled over my shoulder.

"What," Abby whispered, disbelief evident in his voice. I chose to ignore him. We'd have this conversation after I obliterated the Dark Lord. My eyes narrowed as I amplified the power in my hands. No one renders me useless. No one. I glared at Voldemort with every ounce of venom I had in me and pooled the last of my accessible power into my hands. Everything I had left was going to make that bastard just as useless as I was.

My power morphed from black flames to small, marble-sized orbs of energy in my palms. I gathered my strength and hurled the marbles towards Voldemort. Just before impact they expanded and exploded into enormous beams of deadly power. Voldemort let out a yell as the Shield Charm he'd managed to produce shattered.

And then we were surrounded by a flurry of action. Death Eaters started firing curses from every direction. Abby's wand hand twirled and flashed at a speed I'd never seen before. My martial arts lessons kicked in and I started dodging the flashes of multi-colored light, side-stepping, spinning, flipping, jumping. My power was gone - blocked off - and I was defenseless in a long range fight. I honed in on the closest Death Eater and dashed towards him. Yeah, I was defenseless in a long range fight, but up close I could kick anyone's ass. Well, at least I hoped. Three punches to the gut and a kick to the head later and Death Eater number one was on the ground and incapacitated. I kicked his wand out of his hand, dodged another spell, and ran for Death Eater number two.

After a few more K.O.'s I looked back to check on Abby. His clothes were a little tattered and he had a few scrapes and cuts, but otherwise he was fine and dueling brilliantly. Hope rose up in me. Maybe we could beat this after all.

"I'm not sure what you're smirking about, child, seeing as your friend there is going to die." My head spun towards the voice that had spoken and I watched a very battered Voldemort rise up from the ground. The red dust of the New Mexican desert mixed with the blood pouring from the Dark Lord's wounds. "You're the first person to ever put me in such a state," he said as he brushed dust off his shredded shirt, a grim expression on his lacerated face. "You should be proud. But trust me, it will never happen again." With that, he raised his wand and curse after curse flew at me. I did my best to dodge the spells, but I got nicked quite a few times. New cuts and burns were appearing on my arms, legs, and face and I had no way to defend myself. Voldemort was firing spells too quickly for me to get in close and punch him out. I was screwed. "Say goodbye to your friend, little mage. You won't be seeing him again." Voldemort raised his wand and red light appeared at its tip.

"Max!" I heard Abby yell. Then Voldemort brought his wand down in a fierce arc and a wall of red light hurtled towards me. It was too big to dodge and moving too fast. I raised my arms up in front of my face hoping to protect my head just before the wall slammed into me and knocked me into the air. I flew a good twenty feet before colliding with the earth and skidding to a halt, a red dust cloud billowing around me. After a mental body check I realized I had no broken bones, just a few new scrapes and bruises. I tried to get up but… 'I can't move.' My eyes normally would have widened at the realization. I ordered my arm to slide under me and prop me up. No response. I told my fingers and toes to twitch. No response. I demanded my eyes blink. No response.

Abby was in my line of sight. His expression was one of utter horror and complete shock. He continued to battle with a renewed ferocity, attempting to reach me. I imagined what I must look like in his eyes: a fourteen year old girl who'd just been hurled through the air and now lay limp and immobile on the ground. Yeah, I'd be scared if I were in his shoes, too.

"Bellatrix! Fenrir! We are leaving," Voldemort ordered. I could imagine a sinister, pleased smirk on his face. His singed black shoe appeared before my eyes as two Death Eaters disengaged themselves from the battle and ran to where I lay. The big, bulky man who smelled of blood, Fenrir, lifted me up from the ground and threw me over his shoulder as he spun on his heel. There was a crack and then the sensation of being squeezed into a very tight space before the scenery changed and we arrived in what looked like a warehouse full of people with luggage. Screams and gasps echoed off the walls at the sudden appearance of four strange individuals, at least two of whom were bleeding. I couldn't see what was going on, but I felt Fenrir grab my ankle and place my foot on something. Then there was the horrible tug behind my bellybutton as a portkey carried us out of US Customs and into UK Customs. More screams and another side-along apparition later, I was immersed in country air. Fenrir turned to his left a bit and I could see a luxurious manor house behind a wrought iron gate flanked by very high hedges. "Welcome to Malfoy Manor, little mage," Voldemort sneered.

* * *

><p>"After that I was placed in a warded cell. So long as the door was closed, the barrier around my power remained. I was tortured, beaten, and starved. They kept me as isolated as possible. The only ones allowed into the basement without Tom were Bellatrix and Pettigrew. But the Malfoy boy, Draco, he would sneak down when he was home. He'd bring me food and talk to me. He helped me a lot. Unfortunately for him, his house is Dark Lord Headquarters," I finished weakly. Ron and Harry were staring at me in disbelief. Ginny was doing her best not to cry, but Hermione had tears freely flowing down her cheeks. Albus stared at his desk, a grim expression on his face and his blue eyes clouded with dark thoughts. "Stop brooding, Albus. It's like you said. There was nothing to be done," I whispered. I was getting very tired.<p>

"It shouldn't have happened in the first place," Ron said breathlessly. I looked at his face. His rage seemed drowned out by shock and sadness.

"How did you escape?" asked Harry. His own emotions colored his voice, making his question quiet and undemanding. At least in Harry's case it would be fine if I didn't answer immediately. However, Albus's eyes flicked up from his desk and focused on me once more, a spark of interest chasing away the dark tint. I sighed and stole the pillow from Ron's chair, hugging it to my chest before I began my explanation.

"Tom came down the stairs with Bella and Pettigrew. He said he was going to let me go free. That was the first time he'd ever offered me a line like that." I stared at the woven threads on the pillow and picked a fuzz off the fringe.

"He just let you go? Just like that?" Ginny asked in utter disbelief.

"No, Gin. He said I'd go free, but only if I joined him first. It was just another of his tricks. I told him no, like every other time, but then-" I paused here and looked at my brother and sister. This was going to send them into a panic. "Then a couple of Death Eaters hauled in Perce."

"What!" Ginny and Ron shouted simultaneously. Ron rose up out of his chair, made a choking sound and clutched at his hair as he sat back down heavily. Harry and Hermione's eyes widened in shock. Dumbledore looked at me once more before conjuring up a sheet of parchment and jotting down a quick note. He called Fawkes down from his perch, handed the bird the letter, and sent him out the window. I could only imagine what Mum's face would look like when she found a Phoenix tapping at her window.

"You've got to be kidding me," Ron groaned, still bent over in his chair. "They know not only what you are, but who you are, too."

"And it seems Voldemort has infiltrated the Ministry to some degree," stated Albus.

"Percy's okay, right?" asked Ginny. Her hand moved to settle on mine as I clutched the pillow tighter.

"Yeah, he should be." I said. "He stuck to the plan."

"Plan?" came Hermione's voice.

"Yeah," sighed Ron. He finally lifted his head up from his hands. "Our family decided that if we were ever to meet Max in a bad situation, we'd act like we hated her. It was all to keep the family safe. If she was viewed as the disowned and unloved black sheep, then hopefully whoever we were trying to fool wouldn't target the rest of us," he finished bitterly. Ron never had liked that plan, but I insisted on its institution. If I was ever caught, I didn't want to drag my family down as well.

"They brought him in and he immediately began insulting me, shouting at me," I explained. "I shouted right back. Tom saw his plan go completely out the window so he put Perce under the Cruciatus." Everyone in the room except Albus winced at that. "I figured if I could trick Tom into letting me have my powers I could at least get Perce out of there. So I pretended I wanted to torture Perce, too. And it worked."

"What?" All four teenagers stated incredulously.

"I was just as shocked as you are," I mumbled. "He dissolved his barrier. I didn't have much power, though. They'd kept me far too weak. But I was able to transport Perce back to the Burrow and get myself to the Hogwarts grounds." After I finished everyone merely stared in silence. I continued hugging the pillow to me and sagged in my chair. I was so tired.

"You are a very brave girl, Maxine, and these past sixteen months you have been braver than most. You more than deserve a rest and, I take it, you agree?" Dumbledore asked kindly. I nodded my head as my eyes started to droop. "I have already contacted Madame Pomfrey and I believe-" He looked up as one of the former head masters slid back into his portrait, nodding his head. "-That she is ready for you. Someone will be up to escort you to the Hospital Wing shortly. As for you four," Albus now looked to my siblings and their friends. "Someone will be up to escort you back to Gryffindor Tower."

"But sir," Ron started. I opened my mouth to snap at him, but Albus beat me there.

"You will be able to see your sister tomorrow if she is up to it, Mr. Weasley. For now, you all need sleep." Albus placed his fingertips together, and tilted his head down so that he could look at Ron over the rim of his glasses. It was one of Albus's favorite looks – the one that said "This topic of discussion is closed, and my word is final." Ron unhappily backed down.

There was a knock at the door and Professors McGonagall and Snape walked in. For some reason, the four Gryffindors glared at Snape with expressions that clearly questioned his presence in Dumbledore's office. "Ah, Minerva, Severus. Thank you for coming so late at night. I apologize for interrupting your sleep," said Albus.

"What is this, Dumbledore? Why are my students here?" asked McGonagall, fidgeting with her robe.

"Hi Auntie Minerva, Uncle Sev," I paused to yawn. "Long time no see." McGonagall and Snape both turned to what they must've thought was an empty chair. I don't blame them for not seeing me, as I am quite small now and all curled up behind a pillow.

"M-Maxine? Maxine Weasley?" stuttered McGonagall, awe written across her face.

"So you were the one making all the noise earlier? I should have guessed," deadpanned Snape.

"Sorry, Uncle Sev," I said quietly. The four teenagers in the room were looking at me like I was insane. Severus's practiced people-repelling attitude must work really well. McGonagall rushed over to my chair and enveloped me in a hug.

"I thought we'd never see you again, dear! Albus said you'd been captured! We had no clue where you were or how to get to you! Oh, thank Merlin, you're alright." I winced a bit as her arms squeezed my ribcage.

"Well mostly," I told her. She released me and looked me over, brushing my straggly hair out of my eyes.

"Minerva," Albus said. "Please escort Mr. and Miss Weasley, Mr. Potter, and Miss Granger back to Gryffindor Tower."

"Yes, sir," she replied, standing up and giving me a last pat on the head. I always liked Minerva. She mothered me when my own mother couldn't.

"Severus, could you please escort Miss Maxine down to the Hospital Wing? She's quite overdue for a rest."

"Yes, sir." Severus always spoke in that deadpan drawl, like he was bored with the world. But I knew he actually cared a lot about some things. He wasn't as bad as he pretended to be.

"But sir!" Ron and Harry had shot up out of their chairs at Albus's last instruction. Apparently they weren't big fans of Severus.

"Calm down, you two. It's fine. Uncle Sev's not gonna do-" again I had to break for a yawn, "anything bad." Ron and Harry looked at me like I had twelve heads. I merely closed my eyes and snuggled into the pillow I still held to my chest.

"Come along, you four," McGonagall said brusquely, all business once again. "Maxine will be fine. You can see her tomorrow." I heard shuffling as Ginny and Hermione got up. There were a few more words of protest quickly put down by Albus, and then their footsteps receded out the door and down the stone stairs. Silence reigned for a short while until Albus spoke.

"You may have to carry her Severus. It seems she has fallen asleep."

"Not yet," I mumbled into the pillow.

"I stand corrected," chuckled Albus.

"Can you walk, Max," Sev's voice finally changed from bored to worried.

"Yeah," I mumbled as I uncurled myself and set the pillow back on Ron's vacated chair. "Why do you talk in that annoying monotone when everyone else is around? They might think you were actually human if you spoke like a normal person." I looked up at Severus. He'd been a very good friend to me for years and had been the one to allow Draco to come see me while I was locked up. Uncle Sev was a really good man, but for some reason he never wanted anyone to know.

"Funny, Max. Now let's get you down to the Hospital Wing," he said kindly as he placed my skinny arm around his waist and his arm around mine to support me. My legs were getting kind of shaky.

"Thanks for sending Mum that note, Albus. She's probably been in a panic ever since Perce popped in." I smiled tiredly at the Hogwarts Headmaster. He simply nodded and requested I sleep well. Severus led me out of the office and down the stairs into the hall. As we started walking towards the hospital wing I said, "Thanks, Uncle Sev. For what you did when I was caged, I mean. Those visits from Draco were a lifesaver some days. He's a good kid. Watch out for him. I've got a feeling he's getting into something pretty messy."

"He is," replied Sev. "And so am I. Don't worry about him, he'll be fine. Narcissa already made sure of that. As did Dumbledore." He was using that deadpan tone again. Seems like that line of conversation was closed and never again to be opened. "It's your ribs right? That's what made you flinch when Minerva hugged you?" he asked, back to his normal - well normal to me - tone of voice.

"Yeah," I sighed. "Fenrir's got a mean left hook." I grimaced just thinking about the beatings I took from that man.

"I'm really very sorry I couldn't help you more, Max. I regret not doing something more. I should have-"

"Oh, shush it, Sev. We both know you couldn't blow your cover. You've been rising to your challenge for years. It was time I rose to my own."

"I'd say you rose above it even. From the pain I felt from my mark this evening, I'd say you about threw him over the deep end." Snape chuckled a little at that.

"Oh, he's been there for years. I was aiming for a fatal heart attack." This time Sev actually laughed a little. It wasn't something he did much – hardly ever, actually. But when he did laugh, I could see why Dumbledore trusted him so much. And why I did, too. His voice, when he wasn't pretending to be a big, scary, boogieman of a teacher, sounded like a man fighting for something. There was a deep sorrow in his voice, but also a deep purpose. It wasn't the voice of a crazed fanatic or evil cult member. No, Severus Snape was a man who had something important, something loved, that he fought for. No one on Voldemort's side had anything like that.

When we arrived at the doors to the hospital wing, Severus knocked lightly and within moments Madame Pomfrey's face appeared in the open door.

"Oh, Maxine, it's so good to see you again! Goodness, you look a fright. Well come on in, come in child. Severus, could you help her over here please? Yes this one will do, right by the window. I'm sure your family will be sending owls constantly. Now lie down, dear. There. Now, let's get you some clean clothes, hm? I'll be right back." Madame Pomfrey hustled to her office as Severus helped me to the bed she'd pointed out. She quickly returned carrying a pair of loose white pants and a big, blue t-shirt. "Here sweetie. Let's get you changed now." She pulled a divider down the aisle by the bed, shutting Severus out of view. A few minutes later and I was tucked into bed, in clean clothes, my ribs taped and beginning my healing process. Madame Pomfrey folded up the divider again, gathered her medical supplies and my old rags and walked off to her office once more.

"She's still quite the flurry of activity, huh," I said quietly. Nonetheless I got a stern "I heard that" from Pomfrey's office. Sev and I both hid our smiles behind our hands.

"I'll see you around then, Max. And please remember that here I am the bane of most students' existence. No more 'Uncle Sev', alright?" He placed his palm on top of my head and ruffled my hair a bit. He likes my hair a lot. I'm not sure why, but Albus once said it was because it is a similar color to someone else's hair. I could only think that that person must be very important to Uncle Sev.

"Yeah, yeah. It's "Professor" from now on. But don't expect me to give you the cold shoulder. I-"

"Don't work that way. I know." And with that he turned and walked out of the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey came back from her office with a tray of food and looked around.

"I'm guessing Severus left, then?" she asked as she set the tray on my lap.

"Yup. Muttered something about losing sleep for nothing, I think." I picked up the fork and dug into my scrambled eggs. Oh, joy, real food! I finished the eggs and began to scarf down the two slices of toast.

"Slow down, child! Your stomach is not used to being full," Pomfrey chided. "Throwing up will do you no good."

"Yes, ma'am," I replied through a mouthful of toast. When I finished my meal, Pomfrey picked up the empty tray and turned to go back to her office once more.

"Get some sleep, dear," she said as she left. "It'll help you heal faster." She didn't need to tell me twice. I called out a "goodnight" to her and then snuggled down into the bed. Goodness a bed! I forgot how good a mattress - even a cot mattress - could feel! I pulled the covers up under my chin and was soon enveloped by sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading! Please, please leave a review, even if it's just two words or something. Getting ya'll's feedback really makes my day! I'll be working really hard from now on to keep these chapters coming as regularly as I can. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please look forward to chapter 3! (Which, after it's first draft is 29 pages long...)<strong>


	3. A Family Reunion & An Unexpected Scene

**Disclaimer: Everything is the wonderful J.K. Rowling's.** (Except Max. She's mine.)** I am merely meddling in her amazing creation.**

**AN: HAPPY CHRISTMAS! To show my appreciation for all of your wonderful support, I give you, THE SUPER CHAPTER! Dude, this thing is lo~ng! Sorry it took so long to upload, but here it is! Just in time to bring more Holiday joy. Hope ya'll like it! Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>3<strong>

"Nn. Stup'd light. G'way," I moaned as I turned my face into my pillow. I was finally getting some sleep. No way was I going to let something as trivial as morning ruin my peace. "Ohhh, but now I can't breathe." Ugh. I turned my head to the side and once again light streamed through my eyelids. "Darn it," I mumbled as I pulled my arms under me and pushed my upper body away from the oh-so-comfortable mattress. For a split second, the green-and-white-striped sheets below me turned to stone. I blanched, but a blink later and they were merely sheets again. Soft wonderful sheets that the morning was making me leave. Curse you sun. I lifted my head up to look over my shoulder at the windows allowing nature to interrupt my sleep, but I couldn't see through the hair that had fallen in my face. I really need a haircut.

I turned over and sat on my bed, resting my elbows on my raised knees still covered by those soft sheets. I watched the sun rise higher in the sky beyond the windows, most of my view obscured by the unruly hair I was too lazy to fix. I sighed, remembering how wonderful the outdoor air was. My thoughts were soon disrupted by a huge jaw-splitting yawn that brought tears to my eyes and pain to my lungs. Once it passed I hung my head between my knees. That was the largest breath I'd taken in months. I was finally carefree enough to sleep, to dream, to close my eyes and breathe. A small smile spread across my face and I lost myself in memories of summer thunderstorms and fall breezes, spring showers and winter snowflakes. Just as I was remembering my last game of Quidditch in the clearing near the Burrow the sound of my name shattered my reverie.

"Max! Max, you're up! Oh, thank Merlin!" I brought my head up and looked through my hair to see Percy running down the ward towards me, a grin splitting his face.

"Perce?" My voice cracked as I said his name - remnants of an actual full night's sleep. He reached my bedside and enveloped me in a hug. I started raising my arms to hug him back but he pulled away before I could reach him. Slow movements – also probably from sleeping. I never was much of a morning person.

"Max, oh, you look a mess. Mum's been pitching such a fit over your hair when she isn't worrying or fussing over your figure. Merlin, girl, you're practically a twig!" Perce was talking a mile a minute and alternating between brushing the hair out of my eyes and hugging me some more.

"Mum's here?" I asked once my brain caught up to Percy's words. "And you're here. How'd you get here so fast? It's only been a few hours." I looked at Perce with what I'm sure was a severely puzzled look. His hands loosened their grip on my shoulders and his excited expression faded to one near pity.

"Max, you've been sleeping for three days now. Everyone rushed over after Fawkes showed up with Dumbledore's letter. We've been here waiting for you to wake up." As he spoke his hands slid off my shoulders, one going to my wrist while the other went to the top of my head. Perce had a habit of placing his hand on my head. When I was little he'd done that when he was explaining unhappy things to me, or trying to comfort me. He'd never outgrown it.

Once more my slow, sleep muddled mind had to catch up with Perce. "Three days? I've been out for three days?" My voice cracked again. My hand caught Percy's wrist with what I thought was a firm grip, but my fingers barely creased the fabric of his white long sleeve shirt.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "You've been asleep for three days. Madame Pomfrey said it was most likely because you were physically exhausted if not mentally drained as well. According to what Dumbledore told us, you've basically been on high alert for over a year." His brown eyes, exactly like Ginny's, were warm and comforting as he spoke. Perce was always the one to explain things to me in the least stressful way.

I sighed and looked down at the sheets. "Well, that's basically right," I mumbled. Perce finally let go of me and I heard the sounds of a chair being moved.

"So it's true then. You were You-Know-Who's prisoner?" Perce's voice had changed from comforting to sad. I looked up from my sheets. He was slumped in the chair right next to my bed, his elbow resting on the night table and his head leaning on his hand. He was looking at me with sad eyes that projected his worry, pity, sorrow, and fear. I sighed and returned to studying my covers.

"Yeah, Perce. It's true." I returned my arms to their previous position, my elbows resting on my knees. I stared down at my hands. They hung limply from my wrists and dangled above the bed. We both stayed quiet and still for a while. Neither of us moved or spoke. Then I heard the chair creak and Percy's arms were once again around me.

"You're safe now, Max," he whispered in my ear. I raised my hands up and rested them on his arms.

"I know," I said. And then I started chuckling. "That's why I'm so bloody tired." Perce started laughing a little, too. He released me and leaned back in his chair, a smile in his eyes now.

"Glad to see they didn't break your sense of humor at least," he said. I looked away from my brother and at the sky outside the windows again. The hair Perce had brushed out of my eyes returned to partially blocking my sight.

After a few moments of silence I said quietly, "They broke a lot of things, Perce, but I never let them break me - who I am." I heard Perce let out a breath as he took in what I'd said. "The only weapon I had to use against them was an unbreakable spirit. So long as I never gave in to Tom's demands, never showed him weakness, never let him know my fears or worries, I couldn't lose. I'd survive so long as I was strong and unbroken." We lapsed into silence again, and I continued to watch the clouds cross the sky outside the windows. At least until Pomfrey came tearing into the ward.

"Oh, good, you're up!" she exclaimed as she hustled towards my cot, her shoes clacking loudly on the stone floor. "How are your ribs feeling, dear? I re-taped them while you were out. Severus mentioned something about it."

"They feel a lot better actually," I replied remembering how Percy's hugs hadn't made me wince.

"I tried to treat your injuries magically but nothing worked. Were these the results of curses or other strong magic?" she questioned as she began changing a bandage on my left arm.

"An unchanged werewolf," I said grimly. Pomfrey's hands froze on my arm and Perce nearly fell out of his chair. "Fenrir Greyback did most of this. Bellatrix Lestrange helped out, too. Magic won't work on these wounds. I expected this."

"Greyback?" Perce spluttered in shock, regaining his seat.

"Oh dear," Pomfrey said quietly. She quickly recovered from the shock though, and continued changing my bandage. "You're sure he was unchanged?" she questioned, only a hint of her worry showing in her voice.

"Yeah, still human. Well, at least in appearance," I replied, bitterness creeping into my tone. The bandages were finally removed and I looked down at the healing gashes that lined my forearm. They were healing slowly, just as Bella wanted.

"Did he ever bite you? Even in human form? Scratch you?" Pomfrey continued her interrogation and I knew she was merely being cautious.

"Just scratches. Tom wouldn't risk me being turned," I said coldly.

"Why do you call him Tom?" asked Perce. His voice held a note of wariness in it. I turned to look at my brother and his face was curious, but suspicious as well. Anger flared in me as I realized my brother was questioning my loyalty, even if only slightly.

"Because that's his name, Perce, and it annoys the hell out of him. Calling him He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named shows we fear him. Calling him the Dark Lord shows we respect him, or obey him. Calling him Voldemort – oh don't flinch, it's just a name! Calling him Voldemort shows defiance and courage, but it's still the name he chose for himself, which means it also shows we acknowledge him as a threat. Tom is the name his mother gave him, the name of his Muggle father, and the name he hates more than anything. Calling him Tom shows that I see him as nothing more than another wizard. I won't give him the satisfaction of using a name he chose for himself, of showing him fear or respect. He is Tom, a wizard, and nothing more." At some point during my tirade, both Pomfrey and Perce had frozen, their eyes on me with shock and awe written in their expressions. I looked away from my brother and back down at the bed sheets. I then noticed my hands balled into the sheets and clenched tightly into fists. I could only guess that my face mirrored the tension in my hands. The unbreakable spirit I'd relied on was surfacing again, and only at the reasoning behind Tom's names. I softened my hands and felt my face do the same. "Ha," I laughed under my breath. "Perhaps they got into my head more than I'd thought, huh?" I put on a small smile and lifted my face.

Pomfrey quickly shook herself out of her shock again and continued treating my arm. Perce relaxed back into his chair a bit but continued to stare at me, this time with pure worry. He was no longer suspicious.

"This'll sting a bit dear," Pomfrey stated, shaking the silence. I winced as she rubbed salve into the gashes and then began wrapping fresh bandages around the wound.

"Don't worry so much, Perce. Mum does enough of that for all nine of us," I stated semi-cheerily. Perce let out a soft chuckle as he leaned forward in his chair and ruffled my unruly hair.

"That she does, I suppose," he said with a small smile on his face.

"Alright, time for your ribs. Sorry, Mr. Weasley, but you'll have to excuse yourself from the immediate area," Pomfrey huffed as she made Perce scoot back and pulled a divider between my bed and the rest of the room. "Arms up, Max. I do hope these set right." She turned my back to her and then drew my night shirt over my head. "Lean forward just a tad – there. Stay there." I sat with my elbows braced on my knees, legs crossed and head bent forward. Pomfrey began unwinding the bandages around my pitifully thin torso. Once they were gone she checked my right side, running her hands down my ribcage. "I don't feel any loose ribs, which is good. I think the fractures have begun healing too. I'm guessing this was Greyback's work?" she asked as she gently rubbed a salve into my side and began rewrapping my ribs.

"Yeah. The man's got a nasty left hook. Slammed it right into my side." Pomfrey handed me a fresh change of clothes once she was done with the bandages.

"You go ahead and change now. You need to get up and move a bit, I think." Pomfrey gathered up her medical supplies and turned back to look at me before she went back to her office. "You're a very brave girl, Maxine. The state you were in when you showed up – Merlin, I was shocked you weren't dead. Please take it easy for a while, alright? Your body's been pushed far enough by those people without you pushing it too. Understand?" She gave me a very pointed stare as she waited for my answer.

"Y-yeah, I got it. Don't get too crazy. I'm not better yet." I tilted my head to the right a bit and gave her a big, sweet smile – the picture of innocence.

"You're incorrigible," she huffed as she stepped out from behind the divider. I slid my feet off the bed and shivered as they hit the cold stone floor. I picked up the shirt Pomfrey had given me and realized it was my own. Mum must have brought it from home. I glanced at the small, black t-shirt and then down at my body. The shirt wasn't big, but it was going to look massive on my new, emaciated frame. I threw the t-shirt over my head and picked up the pants. Oh, thank Merlin, Mum brought sweats with an elastic waistband! Hopefully these won't fall of my skinny hips. Once the pants were on and my hair was messily tied up with the hair band Pomfrey had left, I stepped out from behind the divider only to meet with badly suppressed laughter. I looked up at Perce who was covering his mouth with his hand, desperately trying not to burst into hysterics.

"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't laugh," he said through his hand, "but you look like a drowned cat." And with that, he collapsed into fits of laughter. I glared at my brother as he sat in his chair finding humor in my misfortune. I walked up beside him and kicked the side of his chair. Usually, such an action would have resulted in a tipped chair and a silenced Percy, but I had very little strength after my captivity and the chair merely tilted for a moment before settling on all four legs again. This sent Perce into a renewed fit of laughter, so I settled for smacking his shoulder.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, allowing my voice to be tinged with grumpiness. Perce finally stopped laughing and looked up at me with a smile.

"They're all eating breakfast down in the Great Hall," he said as he began getting up from his chair.

"Hey, Madame Pomfrey!" I said, turning towards her office. She poked her head out of her office door. "Do you have anything to help me wake up? I'm a bit groggy and I'd like to get all the way down to breakfast under my own power."

"Got just the thing for you, dear," she said with a grin. She disappeared into her office and soon came marching out with a small vile in her hand. She uncorked it when she reached me and said, "Sniff." So I did.

"Ohgoodness, what is that stuff!" I exclaimed as I stumbled backwards. The strong, bitter scent of whatever was in that vile sent me reeling. "I feel like my nose might've singed off!" I rubbed my nose in hopes of making the burning sensation disappear.

"This," said Pomfrey as she re-corked the vile, "is my own concoction. Slow mornings, feints, hangovers – it cures them all." She shot a mischievous grin at me before turning on her heel and walking back to her office.

"I'll say it does. Jeez, that's one heck of a stench." I glared at the office door and rubbed my abused nose one last time.

"You look quite a bit livelier now," Perce stated with a smile.

"You enjoy my pain, don't you," I huffed, still glaring at the office door.

"Only the fun, harmless kind," Perce chuckled. "Now why don't we go see Mum so she can stop panicking?" He placed his arm around my shoulders and we started walking towards the door at the end of the Hospital Wing. And then a fun idea popped into my head.

"Race you!" I shouted as I sprinted out of Percy's grasp and dashed out the door and down the hall.

"Pomfrey said don't overdo it!" I heard Perce yell, but his echoes soon faded as I sped through stone hallways and down staircases. Yeah, I wasn't in the best shape, and yeah, I shouldn't be pushing myself like this, but I missed being able to run - to move when I wanted and cover distance. My skeletal legs carried me down a flight of stairs and into the main entry hall. I dashed across the large floor towards the two open, towering doors at the entry to the Great Hall. Skidding to a halt in the doorway, I scanned the Gryffindor table. Sure enough, there was a huge clump of red-heads right in the middle of the table. I sprinted down the aisle towards the family I hadn't seen in over two years.

Ron must've heard me coming because his head snapped up and he rushed to stand as I crashed into him and subjected him to a bone-crushing hug. At least, it would be bone-crushing if I had my strength.

"Well, look who it is!" cried two identical voices. Ron set me down and I spun around only to be lifted off the ground again and enveloped in two sets of arms.

"My, my girl! You've lost some weight!" said Fred, smiling as he held me.

"Good on ya, but we prefer a girl with a bit more meat on her bones," quipped George as he poked my thin arm.

"Don't make fun of the human skeleton," I chided through my smile as I wrapped an arm around each of their necks and hugged them as tight as I could. I felt their arms tighten around me as they hugged me back.

"Missed you," they mumbled into my shoulders.

"Missed you too," I said as I kissed both of their cheeks. Fred and George had always been my best friends and never failed to brighten any situation. As a kid, I always knew that if I needed a laugh or was feeling a bit mischievous, I only had to seek out my twin brothers and the world would be bright and full of fun again. I leaned back in their arms so I could see their identical grins and show them my own.

"Well don't be a sister hog you two! She's got a handful of other people to hug over here." Ginny's voice was full of laughter as she scolded Fred and George and as I turned my head around to look at her, I could see the wide smile she'd spoken through. As soon as Fred and George set me down I leapt at my little sister and hugged her tight.

"You've already seen her, Gin. Hand her over." No way. I let go of Ginny and turned to face my second oldest brother.

"No way! Charlie, you're here?" I exclaimed more than questioned as I ran into his arms.

"Of course I'm here. I've gotta make sure my little sis is alright," he said with a grin as he stepped back and took a look at me. "Aside from being alive though, you aren't looking so good. What on earth were you doing in that dungeon? Wrestling Golems?" Charlie had always been the one to lighten a serious situation. It's not that he doesn't comprehend the gravity of such situations, he just didn't want people to drown themselves in the seriousness of it all. Thus, the signs of my torment became heroic battle scars.

"I wish," I replied. I flexed my right arm and poked at it with a skinny finger. "Then maybe I'd have a bit more muscle on these super strong arms of mine." We both broke into giggles.

"Glad to see you can laugh at what happened." Bill came up behind Charlie and clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder, a small smile on his face. His statement wasn't meant to chastise, but to point out resiliency.

"What good is a long, life-threatening captivity if you can't get a laugh out of it?" I asked him. Both Charlie and Bill chuckled as Bill took his turn hugging me. I was beginning to imagine what the rest of the students in the Great Hall were seeing: a massive red-heads only hug-fest.

"So when does your father get a turn?" I looked around Bill and saw my Dad standing with a false dejected look on his face.

"Aw, Dad, don't pout," I said as I walked over and gave him his hug.

"Look at you," he said. He placed his hand under my chin and tilted my head up so he could clearly see my face. Everyone in my family, with the exception of me and Mum, was tall. Even Ginny had a good three inches on me. "You're an utter mess. Have you been near a mirror yet?"

"Of course she hasn't," came Mum's voice from behind me. I turned around and saw that she had her "where's your brain at, Arthur" look on. "But your father's right dear. You are an absolute mess." She walked up and took a clump of my bedraggled hair between her fingers. "Look at your hair! Oh, putting you back to normal is going to be such a chore. There's no meat on you whatsoever! You're skin and bones!" she said as she picked up one of my thin wrists. I took hold of her hand and she stopped blabbering. She could fuss over my physical condition later. All I wanted now was to hug my Mother. So I did.

"I missed you Mum," I whispered into her hair.

"Maxine, I was so worried!" she said, clutching me tight in her famous Molly Weasley Bear Hug. "In the hands of Death Eaters for more than a year! I thought I'd never see you again." She stepped back and wiped the tears from her eyes before anyone would notice. "And then Percy popped out of nowhere and started jabbering on about you and You-Know-Who, and Fawkes was at our window with a note from Dumbledore and-"

"Mum," I said quietly. She dropped off her flustered rant and looked at me. "I'm here, now. I'm alive, I'm fine, and I'm here now." Tears welled up in her eyes again and she quickly pulled me into another hug.

"I know, dear. I know. I'm so glad. I'm so glad you're here." We held each other for a while, but my stomach decided to ruin the touching family moment. "Oh, how silly of me, of course you're hungry! Look at you! There's no way you couldn't be hungry in such a condition." Mum released me and wiped her teary eyes once more before taking my hand and planting me on the bench at the table. "Eat, dear, eat. We need to get you healthy again." The rest of the family sat down with smiles on their faces, a couple chuckles sounding in response to Mum's sudden return to fussing. Ron sat to my right, Fred and George to my left. I reached for a slice of toast from the basket on the table and noticed for the first time who was sitting across from me.

"Oh, hey, Harry!" I said with a hint of surprise in my voice. I flashed a smile at Ron's best friend before stuffing my toast into my mouth. I really had missed toast.

"Hello," he replied a little hesitantly.

"I'm glad you're finally up, Max. The whole family's been having conniptions since you turned up," Ron stated as he grabbed a whole handful of toast and plopped the slices on my plate. He knew me too well.

"Where's Hermione at?" I managed to mumble through my toast. Ron's face turned a bit grim and I heard chuckles from the twins. I stopped chewing and looked from Fred to Ron in confusion. I turned back to Fred and asked, "What's so funny?"

"Hermione's a bit miffed with Ron at the moment," Harry answered. I turned to look at him and swallowed my toast. Ron started picking at his breakfast, pushing things around on his plate. His grim expression suddenly changed and he stabbed at his pancakes with his fork, perhaps a little harder than needed.

"Don't see why she's so mad. Not like I did anything wrong," he grumbled as he shoved the pancake into his mouth.

"You see, Max, ickle Ronikins has himself a girlfriend," George whispered loudly to me from the other side of Fred.

"What!" I nearly pulled a muscle twisting my neck around to look back at Ron who was now flushing a brilliant shade of crimson. "You've finally managed to appeal to the opposite sex?" Harry choked on the cereal he'd just spooned into his mouth and the twins burst out in loud guffaws that echoed throughout the Great Hall. Ron's blush darkened as he turned what he thought was a poisonous glare in my direction.

"It's not that funny," he grumbled, turning back to angrily pick at the food on his plate. I grabbed another slice of toast and began devouring it with a snarky grin on my face.

"So who is she?" I asked through my mouthful of toast. Ron mumbled an answer to his plate. "Um, who?"

"Speak up Ronikins!" said Fred.

"We can't hear you!" George added. Ron looked up at Harry a pleading look on his face.

"I'm not part of this," Harry murmured before returning determinedly to his cereal. Ron's pleading expression turned to irritation. He looked back down at his plate and violently speared a piece of sausage.

"Lavender Brown," he growled as he shoved the sausage into his mouth and began to chew as if the piece of meat had personally offended him. Fred and George were chuckling to each other, but I didn't know what was so funny anymore.

"Who's Lavender Brown?" I asked, taking another bite of toast. I think this might be my fourth or fifth piece. I really love toast.

"Only the biggest airhead in the Gryffindor dorm," quipped George.

"Well, in the girls' side at least," corrected Fred.

"Oh, yeah. We have to account for poor Neville, don't we?"

"Don't be rude you two," Ginny chided. "Neville is very kind and you know it. And Lavender's not quite an airhead. She's more of a general annoyance." My eyes widened at hearing these words come from my little sister's mouth. She wasn't a very judgmental person, so this Lavender must've really ticked her off somehow.

"The dorm's resident priss," said Fred.

"Damn right!" agreed George.

"Shut up, guys. It's not true," Ron snarled. Harry finished his cereal and immediately began to pile his plate with food, determined not to become part of this conversation.

"So, you're dating a high-strung princess?" I asked.

"A _clingy_ high-strung princess," Ginny corrected. I turned my eyes from my sister back to my twin brother. His ears were as bright a red as I'd ever seen them and his shoulders hunched forward as if he were trying to protect himself from our words.

"You guys just don't know her," he mumbled, but his voice was slightly resigned making me think that somewhere in our teasing there was a measure of truth. I wonder which part hit the bull's-eye.

"Won-Won!" came a high-pitched shout from down the Gryffindor table.

"Speak of the devil." That was Harry's first comment on Lavender Brown and he seemed to have accidentally spoken his thoughts out loud, for he immediately glanced nervously at Ron and then ducked his head and focused once more on his breakfast. I hadn't thought Ron's face could get any redder, but he flushed as bright as his hair as he leaned back on the bench to wave to a pretty, petite brunette who was smiling and waving frantically back at him.

"So that's Lavender? …Won-Won?" I giggled through my eighth slice of toast.

"Shut up," Ron sniped, thoroughly embarrassed. I leaned back on the bench to get a better look at the girl. She was sitting with a small group of pretty girls chatting animatedly, smiling and laughing together.

"She's pretty," I observed as I sat back up. "And she seems nice enough." Ron's blush began to fade as he mumbled a small thanks into his food.

"Maxine!" Uh-oh. A hand landed on my shoulder and I turned around, a slice of toast hanging out of my mouth, to see Percy glaring amusedly down at me. "What happened to 'not pushing yourself'?"

"Ehe," I chuckled, grinning around my toast. "Shawy. Too mush fum." Percy grinned down at me letting go of his false anger.

"Just take it easy, okay? You need to work up to being your usual energetic self," he said, giving my shoulder a pat before going to sit down by Charlie. Five pairs of eyes were questioning me when I turned back to the toast basket.

"I ran down here from the Hospital Wing," I said with a shrug as I a picked up yet another piece of toast.

"Max!" Ron and Ginny were slightly shocked and clearly not pleased, and the twins were chuckling away behind their hands. Harry just looked amazed.

"I felt like running! I haven't been able to run in a long time," I said. I took a big bite out of my toast and gave my brother and sister a look that dared them to chastise me. But neither Ron nor Ginny opened their mouths to do so. Instead, I heard a pleasant, feminine voice scolding me.

"You really shouldn't have done that." I turned around and saw Hermione standing in the aisle, books in hand and looking as if she were just passing by on her way to class. "Your body needs rest now, even if you'd rather not." Her expression clearly said that I should listen to her advice or I'd regret it, but her smile was kind. She looked up across the table. "See you later, Harry. Ginny, keep your sister in check? You two as well," she added towards the twins before she walked up the table a bit to exchange greetings with the rest of the family and walking out of the Great Hall.

"Wow," I said as I turned to Ron with wide eyes. "She must really be ticked at you!" Hermione had made it a point to talk to every Weasley at the table, plus Harry, but completely exclude Ron. "What on earth did you do?"

"You mean besides pick up Lavender Brown?" Fred whispered, quite loudly from my left.

"Hush up, you prick," Ron sniped. I smiled as Ron turned red again and Harry let out a sigh. As I was about to take a bite out of my new slice of toast, a paper swallow gently glided down to land on the table in front of me. I set down my toast and looked across the Great Hall through the faces of hundreds of students to the blonde head sitting at the far table watching me with shock in his pale grey eyes.

"I've got to go," I said cheerily, picking up the swallow and stashing it in the pocket of my sweat pants. I grabbed another handful of toast and an apple then stood up to leave.

"What? Where are you going?" Everyone was looking at me with the same questions in their eyes.

"What was that bird-thing?" the twins asked.

"Nothing. Just a message from a friend. I'll see you guys later, okay?" I quickly stepped out from behind the bench and smiled at my siblings as I raced towards the door.

"Would you _please_ stop running, Max?" I heard Percy shout after me. I lifted my hand holding the apple and shot a peace sign over my shoulder to show him I'd heard and slowed to a jog. I turned to the right after leaving the Great Hall and headed down the corridor that led towards the dungeons. Stopping at a small staircase, I sat down on the bottom step and fished the swallow out of my pocket, then reached for my magic.

Dang. I really didn't have much at all. I guess I was a lot weaker than I felt. Good thing I only needed a spark for this. I held the paper swallow in my hands and let a small spark of my magic leap up from my palms to light it. My magic always manifested itself as black flames so my small spark quickly spread over the entirety of the paper figure, yet, as usual, the object didn't burn like it would if the flames were real fire. Black fire that didn't burn. Unless, of course, I willed it to. I threw the little flaming bird into the air and it glided off down the corridor to find the friend who'd sent it. As I waited, I continued eating my breakfast. By the time I heard footsteps coming down the corridor, I was on my last piece of toast.

Draco Malfoy paused at the corner and leaned against the wall, the little paper swallow in his open hand, black flames still flickering across its form. His expression looked even less happy than usual.

"Why do you look so glum?" I asked, waving my slice of toast in his general direction. "Aren't you glad to see me? I got out! Ta-da!" I gave him what I hoped was a pleasant grin. He narrowed his glare and turned his cold grey gaze to the burning bird in his hand.

"Why didn't you tell me you were one of them?" he questioned, his voice low and hard to hide the hurt that just barely showed through. He threw the little bird back towards me and it glided softly into my lap. I held up the bright red apple I had in my hand and tossed it to him.

"You didn't need to know," I stated calmly as he caught the apple. His eyes widened and caught mine before narrowing again, any trace of shock gone from them. "Don't take it so personally," I chided before he could state the unfairness of my statement. "One of the Wizarding World's best Ligilimens is hiding out in your home, Draco. I don't think I need to explain my reasoning further." I kept my voice kind and level to avoid adding insult to injury. Draco looked down at the apple he was currently fidgeting with as a slight pink crept across his cheeks. Hadn't thought of that, had you? Silly, self-centered boy. The pink receded and he turned yet again to me. This time he allowed the hurt to infiltrate his gaze and his grey eyes looked less like stone and more like snow clouds, soft and full of an impending downfall.

"You're a Weasley." It was a statement that, for someone raised in his situation meant a lot more than it ever should.

"Yes. And I always have been. The only thing that has changed between then and now, Draco, is that you know." I began finishing my last slice of toast as I watched him, a kind and neutral expression on my face.

"But-"

"No, no 'but's. Nothing that matters has changed. What I find sad is that you know this but are still letting other peoples' bigoted beliefs control your reasoning." I drained the kindness from my voice and expression to let him know what I thought of such beliefs and the people who lived by them. Draco was about to allow the term "blood traitor" ruin the only real friendship he had. Like hell I was gonna let him.

"I don't get on with those people and you know it," he sniped, pushing himself off the wall.

"I am one of those people, and you get on fine with me."

"You're different."

"How?"

"You… You're not like them!"

"In demeanor, belief, even looks, I am exactly like my family, Draco. You just don't know them well enough to see that yet."

"They hate me!"

"I doubt you could call it hate. Perhaps a general dislike of where your family's loyalties lie."

"Loyalties? Who says we're-"

"Stop!" I glared at the boy before me whose face was now red with frustration. "You do not want to finish that sentence. Nor do you want to dwell on such thoughts, Draco. I said it before. One of the Wizarding World's greatest Ligilimens resides in your home right now." He understood immediately the reasoning behind my warning. His face returned to its normal color and the floor seemed to gain his undivided attention. "Your Occlumency lessons with Bellatrix are going well, right? Keep up the good work," I sighed as I leaned back on the stairs.

"How do you know that," he mumbled, still staring at his shoes.

"Word gets around when no one thinks you're listening," I said. "Hey. Look up, silly." He meekly obeyed. "Why are you so determined to fight with me?" I could feel exhaustion creeping through my body now. Perhaps I really had pushed myself a bit too hard.

"I don't know," he said.

"Yes you do. Why do you need to fight with me over my last name? I'm still the same girl who sat in a cell in your basement for over a year. Same girl you came to visit. Same girl you talked with, laughed with, shared troubles and worries with. I'm still me, Draco, so why the hell does my last name matter so much? It changes nothing." I'm positive my eyes displayed my exasperation with this situation clearly. He looked back down at his feet and kicked at the stone for a second before walking over and sitting on the stairs beside me.

"It doesn't matter," he mumbled after a pause. He was looking at the apple in his hands as he said it. He raised the fruit up to his eye level and inspected it for a second. "It doesn't matter at all." This time his voice was firmer. He took a bite of the apple and reached out towards me with his left arm. I sat up and leaned my head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"Good to hear," I sighed. I closed my eyes and listened to the crunch of the apple as Draco proceeded to eat it. We sat like that for a few minutes, content in the silence. There were times during my incarceration when we'd lean up against the bars back-to-back and just enjoy each other's presence. Not every moment needed sound. Sometimes silence was just as effective for conveying feeling.

"How'd you get out?" I heard a dull thud as Draco threw his apple core against the far wall. I opened my eyes and saw it lying on the ground across the corridor.

"Don't liter," I grumbled. I snapped my fingers and the core burst into black flame which eventually faded to fire's usual reddish-orange and began burning the core to ash. I covered up a small yawn before answering Draco's question. "I tricked the 'omnipotent Dark Lord'."

"You did what?" I could feel Draco's head turn to look at my face, but I merely continued to watch the small fire.

"I tricked him."

"I got that," he growled. "But how?" Shock was thoroughly infused in Draco's tone. Was it so hard to believe Tom was merely human, and thus just as fallible? Another small yawn postponed my response.

"Somehow he found out who I was," I mumbled. "He had Percy dragged in. It was absolutely terrifying. He used the Cruciatus and I pretended I wanted to torture my own brother. Luckily, I had enough power to teleport us both." The fire began to fade and the little apple core was now a small pile of ash. We sat quietly and watched the last embers flicker out.

"He really believed you? He believed someone like you would be willing to torture their own brother?" Draco's voice was soft and still filled with shock.

"He'd been trying to crack me for over a year, Draco. I think he was just overjoyed that I showed any inkling of dark thoughts at all. I'm sure Perce and I trading insults helped though." I closed my eyes again with a sigh.

"Insults?"

"Yeah. I had my family stick to a script incase I was ever captured. We were to act as if we absolutely loathed each other. The idea was that acting as if the family didn't matter to me would protect them."

"That didn't really work, did it." Draco's voice held a note of smugness in it.

"No," I growled, nudging him in the side for enjoying the thought of my family's pain. "But it did offer me the opening I needed to get away. That's something, anyway." My last sentence was barely more than a soft sigh. I could feel myself falling asleep. "Agh. Darn Pomfrey was right," I growled under my breath.

"What do you mean Pomfrey was right?" Drat. He'd heard me.

"She told me not to push myself too hard. It really sucks that my body can't keep up with me." I let out a small, slightly bitter laugh at my own weakened state.

"It's understandable though. Anyone would be exhausted after what you went through." There was bitterness in Draco's voice as well, but his spite was directed towards my past situation instead of my present. He began to stand so I sat up again and looked at his face as he turned back to me, his hand outstretched.

"Come on," he said twitching his fingers a bit. "Let's get you back up to the Hospital Wing before you pass out in the corridor." There was a small smile upon his pale face as I took his hand and he pulled me up. I gave him back my biggest smile. Draco didn't smile often, and when he did, most of his smiles were sad. This one was small, but not sad.

"Why thank you, kind sir," I said brightly. "Such a gentleman to walk a lady to her door." We both giggled at my joking.

"My lady." Draco offered his arm, a laughing grin splitting his face. Seeing him smile was a joy.

"Oh, such a kind boy!" I looped by arm through his and we walked back up the hallway laughing like children.

As Draco and I got closer to the entry hall, the sounds of breakfast time chatter grew louder. We paused at the end of the corridor and listened as Albus's voice rang out through the Great Hall and the noise grew quiet.

"Morning announcements," Draco muttered.

"Well, best get going then!" I chirped brightly. "Don't want to get caught in the morning rush. And we don't want you late for class." I gave him a light tap on the arm as we turned and headed up the main staircase. We walked along in a comfortable silence, accompanied by the sound of footsteps echoing off the walls. When we entered the Hospital Wing it was quiet and empty.

"Pomfrey must still be down at breakfast. Not often she gets an empty ward," I said as I disengaged from Draco and went to sit down on my bed. I pulled my legs up onto the mattress and drew the sheet over them. I expected Draco to say a short "see you later" and head off to class, but instead, he came and sat down by my bed in the same chair Perce had occupied earlier that morning.

"Max, there's… There's something I want to tell you." He was fidgeting with his hands and not quite looking me in the eyes. For such a cocky boy, this was a bit unusual. I watched him and waited for him to expand upon his sudden statement. He glanced up and saw I was waiting for him to speak. A light blush overtook his pale face as he glanced back down at his hands.

…Oh dear. This is going to be something he's not confident about. Something he feels vulnerable about. Well, he didn't need to do this with two eavesdroppers lurking a couple cots away. But, exposing them would only cause a fight…

"Draco." He looked up at me still blushing. "If you don't have your words together, then we can talk some other time. It's alright." Despite flashing him a kind smile, his blush disappeared and a look of resolve replaced his nervousness. He regained the confident glint in his grey eyes and sat up straighter in the chair.

"No, my words are together," he said firmly. His grey eyes locked on my blue ones and he steadied himself with a deep breath. "Max, I…" He looked as if the words were caught in his throat. His confidence slowly disappeared again and he slumped a bit in his chair. His eyes left mine and focused again on the ground. "I.."

Well, I guess I know where this is going. Most of my meager magic supply shot through the floor to where the eavesdroppers stood and formed an immovable sound barrier underneath the Cloak. They wanted to see? Fine. They'd see. But they would by no means interfere.

"I…think I …Agh." Draco finally gave up trying to be brave. His fingers twined together and he hung his head before mumbling his statement to the floor. "I love you."

After a small pause, he looked back up at me, vulnerability written in every line of his body. His grey eyes were like thin clouds. Everything represented in them could be blown away by the smallest wind, or solidified by what could change in this moment.

"Oh, Draco," I whispered. I shut my eyes for a moment to steady myself. It's not like I never saw this coming, but I had hoped it wouldn't. I was going to hurt him, and that was the last thing I wanted to do. I opened my eyes again and found his. "I love you, too, just…Not the way you want me to." His eyes widened for a moment before wavering and searching again for the ground. His entire structure seemed to sink.

After a short silence he whispered, "Why?" Oh dear… "Why not? Am I not good enough for the little mage?"

"Draco-" He looked up at me, hurt turning his eyes a stormy grey and filling them with tears he was desperately trying not to shed.

"You just spewed all that crap about how last names didn't matter, but that's what's behind this, isn't it? Your family wouldn't approve of you-"

"Draco." I said his name as a sharp whisper. He stopped ranting immediately and just glared at me, his body showing in every line that he wanted to leave, to escape this hurtful situation.

"Forget this," he mumbled angrily. He suddenly lowered his head and moved to get up.

"Draco." This time there was a pleading note to my tone. I placed my left hand on his knee to keep him from getting up. "Draco, don't do this. Hey." I ran my right hand through his white-blonde hair and brought it down underneath his chin. He didn't fight me as I tilted his face up so I could look him in the eyes. I was surprised that his gaze willingly met mine.

"Why," he stated firmly this time. "I want to know why, Max." There was still plenty of pain in his eyes, but they also displayed a determined resolve. I let out a small sigh and looked down at my lap.

"I don't have a why," I said softly. He turned his head to the side and away from me at those words. "Draco." I moved my right hand back under his chin and turned his face to me again. This time he did not meet my eyes. "Draco, I don't have a why. But I do know that in this world there is someone for you somewhere. Everyone's got someone who will love them back the same way you love them." He hesitated for a second and then finally looked me in the eye again. I gave him a small smile and moved my right hand to his cheek. My left hand trailed through his hair, brushing it out of his eyes. "You'll find the girl who's meant for you, Draco. That girl's just not me, though." He sighed, closed his eyes and leaned into my hand. His left hand came up to hold my hand to his cheek.

"It's just not you, huh," he mumbled. He opened his eyes and looked down at my left hand which had returned to his knee. He covered that hand with his own as well. "This sucks, you know?" he said with a small, bitter laugh.

"Yeah, I do," I replied. We sat in silence for a few moments, Draco watching our intertwined hands, and I watching him. Suddenly he looked up at me, a light blush on his cheeks. His eyes were more sad then hurt now.

"Can I at least have a kiss, then? Just so I know…what…what I need to look for…" He looked me straight in the eyes as he quietly asked this, lying straight to my face. I was slightly shocked, and I could feel the fury coming from the trapped and silenced eavesdroppers. My surprise must have shown on my face. "That was too bold," he said quickly, looking down again and starting to get up. I leaned down on his knee to keep him in place.

"No, it's alright," I said quietly. He froze.

…Is he breathing? Why is he just-

Suddenly he whipped his head around his eyes wide and pale grey, the color of thin ice. "What did you say?" He whispered. I took a breath.

"It's alright." No it isn't. It's not alright at all. This will only hurt him more. Provide him with a memory that will only torture him. But…If I can give him something – anything – to make him feel better. Something he wants. "It's alright." Maybe he'd consider it a thank you for being there for me. But he won't. And I know that. This is purely his selfishness.

His eyes began to soften and the shock left his face, slowly being replaced by understanding. He knew even better than I did why I was allowing this. I dropped both of my hands back into my lap as Draco reached up with his right hand to gently cup my face. He didn't say anything, just kept searching my eyes. And then he started moving closer. Automatically, my eyes began to shut.

His lips pressed softly against mine. The kiss was gentle and chaste, with no hint of the hurt and anger he'd shown. But I could feel the sadness in him as well as some other feeling. Like a – He pulled back and ended the kiss, but left his forehead on mine for a moment.

"Goodbye, Max."

And then he was gone. I stared, eyes wide, and filling with tears as he rushed out of the Hospital Wing, never once looking back, the shaking in his frame only barely visible.

I stared at the empty doorway until the tears began spilling over. I looked down at my lap and watched patters appear on my sheet as teardrops fell and splattered there. In the back of my mind, I felt the barrier around the eavesdroppers dissipate.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Ron thundered out from under the Invisibility Cloak. He threw it off so violently that Harry had to reach down and pick it up off the ground. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL, MAX! Draco Malfoy! What the hell are you doing with Draco MALFOY!" He stomped his way down the aisle to my bed, his face bright red and contorted in fury.

"Not now, Ron," I whispered, tears still falling into my lap.

"And you _kissed_ him. KISSED him!"

"Ron, not now."

"He's the enemy! What are you doing – "

"He's my best friend!" My head shot up in anger as I shouted back at my brother. "He's my best friend and his heart is… Is smashed into fifty-billion little pieces…" My hands went through the motions of shredding thin air and my face contorted in pain and anger. "…and it's all my fault. And HARRY JAMES POTTER!" I practically screeched his name as I sent a massive gust of wind down the aisle to slam the Hospital Wing doors shut and send the Invisibility Cloak spiraling onto a far off bed. "If you _dare_ follow him right now I will ring your neck!" Harry turned back to face me shock overwhelming his features.

"Are you _crazy_?" Ron leaned down towards me, bracing his hands on either side of me, his face inches from mine. "Threatening my best mate? Over a Death Eater? _Are you crazy?_" he spat the last question through clenched teeth.

"Get out of my face now, before I make you, Ronald," I snarled. I saw the small spark of surprise in Ron's eyes as he slowly straightened himself. Even Harry, on the other side of the room collecting his Cloak, froze for a moment.

I must've looked quite intimidating with rage and hurt twisting my features and tears streaming down my cheeks.

"What the hell are you doing, Max," Ron asked quietly. Harry slowly walked up the aisle, tucking his Cloak into his bag and stopping just before reaching my bed.

"I'm baking cookies, Ron. What do you _think _I'm doing?" I sniped, wiping away tears with the heel of my hand.

"He's Draco MALFOY, Max!"

"Yeah, and you're Ron Weasley, he's Harry Potter, and I'm the girl who just crushed her best friend."

"Best friend? How can you be friends with him! He's a jerk!"

"Pot calling the kettle black," I mumbled.

"Did you just call me a jerk? Compared to hi-"

"Well you're the one shouting at a crying girl!" I glared at Ron, tears streaming freely down my face now. My brother was silenced by shock for a moment.

"She's got you there," Harry suddenly and quietly stated. Ron spun on Harry, his anger redirected, but Harry just raised his hand in my general direction as if silently saying, "Mate. Just look at her." Ron paused and turned to me again, but this time, he seemed to take in what his anger had blinded him to.

"Aw, shit, Max. What the hell are you doing." His face softened and his words were quieter this time. He stepped forward and sat beside me on the bed before pulling me into a hug. "What the hell are you doing, crying over him?" I turned my face into his chest and mumbled back.

"He's my friend, Ron. And I hurt him really bad." Ron didn't respond except to pull me closer and try to comfort me. I felt the bed sink a little on my other side as Harry sat down as well. After a little while my tears began to slow, and Ron finally spoke.

"Don't think you're off the hook, though, Max. We will talk about this Malfoy thing." His voice was calm again, but his frustration was only barely held in check. This will be such a _fun_ conversation. I pulled away and sat up, wiping the remaining tears from my face.

"'Malfoy thing'," I repeated quietly. "You guys really don't get along, do you?" I'd meant the question to be rhetorical, but I got two firm "Hell no"'s in response. I gave a little snort then looked from Ron to Harry before I busted out laughing. Simultaneous identical answers. "Ron. Man, even we don't do that!" I managed through my laughter. Harry glanced over at Ron as his own bout of laughter started.

"Yeah, we – We… No, we don't." And then Ron was laughing, too. We carried on like that until our sides hurt and we were gasping for breath.

"You guys are gonna be late for class," I said once I calmed down enough to form a coherent sentence.

"Shoot, she's right," Ron said.

"Well if you're so worried, you go," Harry replied. "I got a question for you." His second statement was pointed towards me.

"Well, we may as well get detention together," Ron huffed good-naturedly.

"A question for me?" I asked Harry feigning shock. I figured Ron's friends would interrogate me sooner or later. One thing I've noticed about people and secrets is that they always needed to uncover everything that had been withheld.

"Yeah," he said. He shifted his body around, pulling his right leg up onto the mattress so he could face me. "You cry for others and laugh easy, and it seems that you're able to make friends with folks most people don't like. Plus, you've got to have a strong will if you've been around Voldemort for as long as you were and aren't dead or twisted."

"There's no question there, mate," Ron chuckled.

"I'm getting there." Harry shot a small glare at Ron before continuing. "You remind me of someone I went to primary school with."

"Primary school?" I asked. Dang, I went to far too many primary schools. "Which one?"

"He lives in Little Winging, Max," Ron said.

"Oh, really? Well I've been there! In…um….Let's see…Third grade?"

"In the fall?" Harry asked.

"Um…Maybe. I went to a lot of primary schools," I replied uncertainly.

"Did you ever travel under a false name?"

"All the time," Ron said before I could respond. "She's got about fifty aliases."

"Did you ever go by Abigail?" Harry's posture showed how anxious he was for a yes. Let's see. Third grade in Little Winging… What happened then? Was that when…

"You were the boy on the roof!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah! And you tried to help me get down!"

"By going up. We sat on that roof for twenty minutes before the teachers found a ladder!"

"Wait, wait, wait. You guys know each other? From primary school?" Ron had a severely confused look on his face.

"Apparently," I said with a grin.

"She's the only kid who's ever been able to beat up Dudley. He still hasn't gotten over that you know. Kept asking around for 'that stupid, scrawny leprechaun' for weeks. He still tries to kill me if I bring up how he got creamed by a girl," Harry chuckled.

"He called me a leprechaun? Oh, I owe him another fist in the gut for that one," I huffed.

"You beat up his cousin?" Ron asked, slightly awed.

"Yup."

"High-five for that one, sis. I've been begging Harry to let me curse him for years."

"I knew I recognized those eyes," I said.

"How on earth did you not know he was Harry Potter though?" Ron asked.

"He introduced himself as Harry and I knew he was related to that prick, Dudley, so I just figured he was Harry Dursley." I replied.

"Ew," Harry said. He even wrinkled his nose the idea disgusted him so. "No way in hell will that ever be my name." We were all laughing again. When we calmed down, Harry said, "You know, you were the only friend I ever made in that town. And to think that you're Ron's sister…"

"Quite a coincidence," Ron mused. I nodded in agreement. "It's the weirdest thing. Damn! And I've been thinking all this time I was the first Weasley he ever met!" Ron gave me a small, playful shove that set me off balance and falling onto Harry's lap. The boys let loose laughing at me as Harry helped me back up. And soon we were all laughing and carrying on.

"Well what is this!" Pomfrey's shrill question came from the front doors. "Mr. Potter! Mr. Weasley! You're horribly late for class you know! Out! Get on with you!" She stomped down the aisle waving her arms around trying to shoo the boys out. We were all still laughing hysterically. Ron was doubled over clutching his stomach, I had my hands over my mouth trying hard to calm down, and Harry was leaning back on his hands, face tilted to the ceiling and laughing without a care. "Out! Now, Mr. Weasley! Off you go! You can see your sister later. Preferably when you're not supposed to be in class! Go!" Pomfrey had made it to my bed now and was pulling and pushing the boys up on to their feet and up the aisle.

"See ya!" I managed to shout. Both boys were still laughing too much to do anything but raise their hands in goodbye as Pomfrey shoved them out the door. After a few moments, I managed to calm down enough to speak.

"Well, seems you're having a good time," Pomfrey said, trying to sound stern and reproving, but she really couldn't hide her smile. She walked down the aisle again and ducked into her office.

"Yeah. Oh~ It's good to be back," I said as I shifted to lean back on my hands. Pomfrey popped out of her office carrying her basket of wraps and salves and came to sit in the chair by my bed.

"Let's have a look, dear," she said as she turned the chair to face me.

"But you just changed them all a couple hours ago!" I protested. She merely pointed to the bandage on my left forearm. When I looked, there was a small blood stain slowly seeping through the wrap. "Well darn."

"Yup. Give it here," Pomfrey said, holding out her hand. I plopped my arm into her palm and she set to work. When she finished with my arm, she checked my ribs, but they were fine. "Get some sleep girl. Sleep and food. That's all you need right now, and you'll be right as rain within a few months or so," she said as she packed her things and stood to go back to her office. "Actually-" She paused just before her office door. "Knowing you, you'll make sure you're back to perfect in no time, won't you." She gave me a laughing, yet still disapproving look over her shoulder.

"You know me all too well, Madam Pomfrey," I chuckled. She did as well and then walked into her office to leave me to my rest. I lay back down on my pillow and looked up at the vaulted ceiling. Food, rest, and exercise. I'd be back to perfect by the end of next month. Maybe still too thin, but perfect concerning reflexes, stamina, and muscle control. We'd work on the weight thing later. I needed to get strong again first. I turned onto my side and fell asleep while mulling over training schedules.

End Ch 3

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, was the super chapter super, or no? Please review! I love, love, love to hear from ya'll! Bad or good, no matter. ^-^ I broke my own rules and posted this before Ch4 was done being written, so hopefully this monster will tide you over for a while. Need to go back and read HBP, get my timeline down, and then I'll start on Ch4. Get ready for an unfortunately long wait, I'm afraid. I'll try and make it as short as I can. Please review! And Thank You SO MUCH!<br>**


End file.
